Israeli authorities issued an order to confiscate 2,000 dunams (494 hectares) of land in the occupied northern West Bank, including a major archaeological site near the city of Sebastia, a Palestinian official said on Tuesday.
Head of the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission Moayad Shaaban said the confiscation order targeted land belonging to the cities of Sebastia and Burqa in Nablus Province.
He described the action as a direct continuation of the previous notice of intent issued on January 18, 2025.
Shaaban said the decision reflected a broader policy to use legal and administrative tools to advance settlement goals, adding that the land would be allocated exclusively to illegal Israeli settlers, Anadolu reported (18/2).
Shaaban further warned that the order extends beyond the archaeological site itself to the surrounding agricultural areas, including the olive groves of Palestinian residents, effectively expanding Israeli control over the area.
Sebastia, which lies along the main road between Nablus and Jenin, covers about 4,777 dunams (1,180 hectares). According to the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism, the site dates back to the Bronze Age and contains remains from various civilizations, including the Canaanite, Roman, Byzantine, Phoenician and Islamic periods.
Last November, Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the Israeli Civil Administration was preparing to confiscate private land in the area to develop the Sebastia site, including a large olive grove belonging to Palestinians.
Earlier this month, the Israeli government adopted additional measures expanding law enforcement authority in parts of the West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority, citing violations related to construction, water and cultural heritage.
In July 2024, the Israeli Parliament approved the initial reading of a draft law aimed at applying the Israel Antiquities Law to the West Bank and authorizing the Israel Antiquities Authority to operate there.
The new version of the bill was introduced in December last year, which aims to expand Israel's authority over archaeological sites and cultural heritage in the West Bank with the aim of including Areas A and B - where the Palestinian Authority has civilian control - in its scope of application.
Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its military campaign in Gaza on October 8, 2023. Palestinians view the increase - including killings, arrests, expulsions and settlement expansion - as a step towards formal annexation of the territory.
The International Court of Justice in its ruling in May 2024 declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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