Olive groves on a hillside overlooking the Roman columns of Sebastia, in the occupied West Bank, have been cultivated for generations by Palestinian families.

One landowner, Abu Mudif, said he has received a notice that his land forms part of an Israeli move to take possession of around 450 acres. Israel says the land is needed to help protect and develop the ancient site as part of plans for a major national park.

Palestinian owners typically receive little compensation for land expropriation, and even when payments are offered, many refuse, viewing acceptance as recognition of a loss that they consider bound up with their heritage. For Mudif, the economic impact is only part of the issue.

“It feels like something essential is being torn away,” he said, adding that he struggles to imagine himself without the land.

Residents fear loss of access to the ruins

Near the site, Nahed Sakha, who owns a local restaurant, said the area is facing potential demolition. She said the Israeli plan appears to aim to separate Palestinian residents from the archaeological complex, which includes remains from the Jewish past as well as periods including the Roman, Crusader and Ottoman eras.

Sakha said restoration and excavation work has begun and that landowners were told they would not be allowed to use or plough their land.

The village mayor, Mohammed Azem, said locals are concerned about cleaning or maintaining parts of the ruins. He described uncertainty about whether doing so could create problems with Israeli security forces and settlers.

The Sebastia area is split between Area B, where Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control apply, and Area C, under full Israeli control.

UNESCO adds Sebastia to danger list

Unesco has echoed the concerns raised by residents and local representatives. It said Sebastia is not only a World Heritage Site but has now been placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Unesco cited the main threat as the “planned expropriation” and the creation of a national park called “Samaria” (Shomron), warning it could divide the property.

Israel last week allocated about 113 million shekels (£27.8m) to expand its control over archaeological sites in the West Bank, including projects in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli activist Alon Arad, who leads Emek Shaveh, said authorities have moved without consulting the municipality and residents of Sebastia. He said the site is Palestinian heritage and argued that development should involve the local community so it can benefit from it.

Under Israel’s proposals, Sebastia’s entrance would be relocated to the opposite side of the larger site, away from the village, car park and shops.

Palestinian officials responsible for tourism and foreign affairs said they hope Unesco’s decision will strengthen international support for their opposition to Israeli land seizures at Sebastia. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said Unesco cannot rewrite history.

“No vote in an international organisation can change history,” he said.

Herodium land seizure and proposed legal change

Further south, Israel has also begun expropriating land at Herodium, a manmade hill near Jerusalem where King Herod built a palace on its summit. Israel said it wants to seize about 80 acres for “preservation and development”.

Peace Now, an Israeli settlement-monitoring group, said the move is constrained under international law and by rulings of Israel’s Supreme Court, arguing Israel is prohibited from expropriating land for settlement purposes or solely for the benefit of Israeli citizens. Peace Now said Israel would likely seek to frame the expropriation as serving both Palestinian and Israeli populations, despite what it described as the apparent link to settlement expansion and Israeli control.

Shmuel Browns, who has worked on excavations at Herodium, said Israeli archaeologists and officials need to be able to oversee and protect sites with religious and historical significance. He said Israel sees itself as responsible for safeguarding archaeology, artefacts and the history of the land.

At the same time, Far-right figures in Israel’s current government have pushed for wider powers. A bill proposed earlier this year would have moved control of archaeological sites from the military-linked Civil Administration to the Israeli heritage ministry, giving it broad authority to seize land for archaeological preservation across the West Bank. The bill passed its first reading in parliament in May but is currently on hold as elections near, and may not return.

In Sebastia, Arad said the legislation proposal illustrates how archaeology is being used to advance land and governance aims, by supporting excavations and narratives while also shifting land from Palestinian to Israeli control. He said Palestinian residents fear their connection to the ruins may be lost.

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9 August 2026

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The Jewry will not stop until all of the Promised Land is theirs. They will commit war crimes, they will commit crimes against humanity, they will break international laws. They believe it is all theirs, and they will continue to commit atrocious illegal acts including the mass killings of women and children until it is. That is the Jewry.

Every time I read something like this I feel incredibly sad.

Israel started as a noble project, to give the world’s Jews, a homeland, both physical and spiritual.

It has become something very similar to Nazi Germany in the 1930’s, I would argue worse than that.

A whole population has lost its humanity and moral compass.

Another day, another Israeli land grab.

Ethnic cleansing will follow.

20 hours ago, Packer said:

The Jewry will not stop until all of the Promised Land is theirs. They will commit war crimes, they will commit crimes against humanity, they will break international laws. They believe it is all theirs, and they will continue to commit atrocious illegal acts including the mass killings of women and children until it is. That is the Jewry.

What is this 'the jewry'? Who's been priming your pump? First, dear student, 'the jewry' is not a monolithic block. If you paid attention, many Jews, both in Israel and even more worldwide, are against the near genocidal acts of Bibi's goverment . Side note: I can't recall and Jewish suicide bombers, which seems more common and rewarded by another Abrahamic nut job religion in the hood...

Religion does seem to poison everything. Palestinians claim land 'from Jordan river to the sea' and many Bibi backers are aghast. The Old testament goes further: Israel is promised the land from Baghdad to the sea... hmm

PJ O'Rourke got it right when he called the middle east "God's monkey house" (Read "Holidays in Hell" for a good laugh).

Even when I was a preteen I thought cooking up new country in Palestine aka Israel, was insane.... 3 whacko religions going after the same bit of turf... you bet cha.

When I find myself agreeing with an vicious antisemite, you know Israel has really gone too far. “Never enough” describes Israel perfectly. Israel, its army and its violent mobs, intend to push every Arab out while grabbing border areas of border nations to annex and colonise. Honestly, I’ve never in my life heard of a Jewish thief. But, collectively, Israelis are heartless bandits. This is the very definition of impunity, of being ‘chosen’. Vile.

1 minute ago, unblocktheplanet said:

When I find myself agreeing with an vicious antisemite, you know Israel has really gone too far. “Never enough” describes Israel perfectly. Israel, its army and its violent mobs, intend to push every Arab out while grabbing border areas of border nations to annex and colonise. Honestly, I’ve never in my life heard of a Jewish thief. But, collectively, Israelis are heartless bandits. This is the very definition of impunity, of being ‘chosen’. Vile.

Your rhetoric is quite often identical to vile racist Jew haters.

You might think you aren't that, but you actively encourage them.

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Your rhetoric is quite often identical to vile racist Jew haters.

You might think you aren't that, but you actively encourage them.

We all know who the real antisemites are on this board, just as we know those who defend Israel's atrocities and cheerlead Israel's wars.

I have to admit this is the first time I've agreed with AN's most rabid antisemite. Antisemites don't need my encouragement.

In fact, now that I think of it, antisemitism is all just a state of mind unless such a person acts on it. Let 'em hate who they want, Jing. Who cares?

1 hour ago, unblocktheplanet said:

When I find myself agreeing with an vicious antisemite, you know Israel has really gone too far. “Never enough” describes Israel perfectly. Israel, its army and its violent mobs, intend to push every Arab out while grabbing border areas of border nations to annex and colonise. Honestly, I’ve never in my life heard of a Jewish thief. But, collectively, Israelis are heartless bandits. This is the very definition of impunity, of being ‘chosen’. Vile.

Israel needs to take over the whole land, just like Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Singaporeans did .

That's a proven way for a peaceful existence and a prosperous future

2 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Israel needs to take over the whole land, just like Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Singaporeans did .

That's a proven way for a peaceful existence and a prosperous future

Ah, you mean a holocaust. Only this time the final solution is for Arabs.

6 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Ah, you mean a holocaust. Only this time the final solution is for Arabs.

Just do the same as what Canada did .

That worked

Israel Shuts West Bank Village to Protect It From Settlers

Israel’s military has closed a Palestinian Christian village in the occupied West Bank to non-residents, citing a rise in violent attacks by Israeli settlers.

The move places Taybeh, one of the territory’s few remaining Christian communities, at the centre of growing tensions over settler violence and security in the West Bank.

Military lockdown follows violence

The Israel Defense Forces said the order applies to Israelis entering Taybeh, not Palestinians living there. The military said the village was declared a closed military zone because of “some violent attacks by Israelis in the region”.

Soldiers will be sent to the area when violations are reported, the IDF said, with orders to disperse gatherings and detain suspects to protect residents and maintain order.

The decision comes after an incident in June when Israeli settlers reportedly obstructed Palestinians trying to extinguish a large fire near Taybeh. Palestinian firefighters and a local priest described what they called a wider pattern of intimidation and violence.

Pressure mounts over settler attacks

The latest move comes amid increasing international scrutiny of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Some Western countries have imposed sanctions on settler groups, while a recent UN inquiry found Israeli authorities were directly involved in attacks that killed, injured and displaced Palestinians.

Israel rejected the inquiry’s findings, saying its authorities, including the president and prime minister, had repeatedly condemned violence against Palestinians.

A Christian community under pressure

Taybeh holds particular significance as one of the few remaining Palestinian Christian villages in the West Bank. The community has roots stretching back centuries, while the village is also home to the Taybeh Brewing Company, widely regarded as the Middle East’s oldest microbrewery.

Parts of Taybeh lie in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority administers civilian affairs but security control requires coordination with Israel.

Around 50,000 Palestinian Christians live across the West Bank and Jerusalem, forming one of the region’s oldest Christian communities. The closure highlights the mounting pressure on civilians in an area already gripped by escalating violence and political tensions.

Israeli military closes Palestinian Christian village Taybeh, citing settler attacks | Reuters

Edited August 10Aug 10 by bannork

46 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Just do the same as what Canada did .

That worked

Exactly. A separate state. It's called Nunavut. And that's exactly what Israel want to give the Palestinians.

Good fences make good neighbours. A tall, razor-wire tipped fence around the colonies would keep the racist vigilantes in. One gate, well-guarded by IDF. Let them order Grab!

4 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Exactly. A separate state. It's called Nunavut. And that's exactly what Israel want to give the Palestinians.

Palestinians were given a separate state already , they were actually given their own Country , completely independent from anyone else .

How did White Canadians manage to form a Country on other peoples land ?

1 hour ago, unblocktheplanet said:

We all know who the real antisemites are on this board, just as we know those who defend Israel's atrocities and cheerlead Israel's wars.

I have to admit this is the first time I've agreed with AN's most rabid antisemite. Antisemites don't need my encouragement.

In fact, now that I think of it, antisemitism is all just a state of mind unless such a person acts on it. Let 'em hate who they want, Jing. Who cares?

You disgust me.

47 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You disgust me.

You'd rather remain psychologically beleaguered by people who do not harm Jews? I say, let antisemites stew in their own hate. How does it harm you? What's your reason for being so angry at something you'll never change, if history be our guide?

I suppose you could say the same of me. Perhaps my contributions will never stop Israeli atrocities.

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Palestinians were given a separate state already , they were actually given their own Country , completely independent from anyone else

@unblocktheplanet

Could you state why you disagree with that ?

What I wrote is a historical fact .

Palestinians were given their own Country , but unlike the Nunavut , the Palestinians wanted the whole of the land for themselves . They didn't want to share the land , like the Nunavut did

17 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

You'd rather remain psychologically beleaguered by people who do not harm Jews? I say, let antisemites stew in their own hate. How does it harm you? What's your reason for being so angry at something you'll never change, if history be our guide?

I suppose you could say the same of me. Perhaps my contributions will never stop Israeli atrocities.

Never mind atrocities against Jews.

2 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

How did White Canadians manage to form a Country on other peoples land ?

Or other invaders do the same to the USA, Australia, New Zealand etc?

On 8/9/2026 at 12:58 AM, Packer said:

The Jewry will not stop until all of the Promised Land is theirs. They will commit war crimes, they will commit crimes against humanity, they will break international laws. They believe it is all theirs, and they will continue to commit atrocious illegal acts including the mass killings of women and children until it is. That is the Jewry.

you already lost your war against the jews you lowlife looney haha.

id love to meet a guy like you in the usa lol

Edited August 10Aug 10 by Yagoda

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

id love to meet a guy like you in the usa lol

I'm not gay, but good luck with your search for Mr. Right.

7 minutes ago, Packer said:

I'm not gay, but good luck with your search for Mr. Right.

all nazis are gay. rough trade too, huh? your cult god adolf was a rent boy. von liebenfels got kicked out of the priesthood for kiddy diidling. roem liked boys too.

hmmmm. looks like a correlation between deviant sexuality and jew hate, huh.

bet you are a german or brit lol.

Where's Yasser Arafat when we need him? the man who never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

@unblocktheplanet

Could you state why you disagree with that ?

What I wrote is a historical fact .

Palestinians were given their own Country , but unlike the Nunavut , the Palestinians wanted the whole of the land for themselves . They didn't want to share the land , like the Nunavut did

Because he reads History books, while you read Hasbara books.

Reading your Zionist propaganda is really sickening and once again confirms the phrase:

Every accusation is a confession.

Historically, Palestinians have never been given an independent, fully sovereign country of their own.

You are referring to historical partition proposals and peace negotiations where land division and limited self-governance through the Palestinian Authority was offered but ultimately rejected or never fully realized.

However, Israel never offered full sovereign statehood and as it is well known by now, even acted to sabotage Palestinian unity by funding or facilitating Hamas.

The Palestinians had fought and died side by side with the British against the Ottoman Empire in WW I, because they were promised statehood, which was one of the biggest betrayals in human history, yet nothing compared with what came next.

The Palestinians welcomed Jewish refugees with open arms and full of compassion, knowing that most nations had closed their borders, turned ships away (in the EVIAN Conference in France delegates from 32 countries discussed the Jewish refugee crisis, with most of them—including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom—refusing to accept large numbers of them.)

What a happy end for those desperate Jews.

There is a famous saying about happy endings:

What the Palestinians did not know was the true intention of their guests who : while the Palestinians believed they would be living next to each other, as peacefully as in the gone by centuries, the Jews wanted all the land for themselves by creating a Jewish only nation state.

 

A Happy ending is just a story ...

... that hasn't been told to the end yet.

45 minutes ago, Packer said:

I'm not gay, but good luck with your search for Mr. Right.

33 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

all nazis are gay. rough trade too, huh? your cult god adolf was a rent boy. von liebenfels got kicked out of the priesthood for kiddy diidling. roem liked boys too.

hmmmm. looks like a correlation between deviant sexuality and jew hate, huh.

bet you are a german or brit lol.

@Packer

It´s not his fault. Since he uses his history books as a replacement for the broken kitchen table leg he confuses things.

@Yagoda

Yes, it´s all right. Hitler loved gay men and never harmed them.

And of course there is a correlation between deviant sexuality and jew hate.

Speaking of deviant sexuality, tell us about that gay German jew hater, Epstein.

And don´t forget those gay Nazi German PDFiles, who sexually abused minors in the US and then escaped justice by impersonating Jews and hiding in Israel demanding their right to return.

Did you take all your meds today?

Were Palestinians offered a state

Yes, the United Nations proposed creating an independent Arab state alongside a Jewish state when it adopted Resolution 181 (II) on November 29, 1947. However, Palestinian Arab and neighboring leaders rejected the plan, arguing it violated the rights of the majority population

.Reactions and Outcomes

• Zionist Acceptance: Jewish agency leaders accepted the partition plan as a path to recognized statehood.

• Palestinian Rejection: Palestinian and Arab leaders rejected the proposal. They contended that it unfairly surrendered a majority of the land to a minority immigrant population and denied the majority indigenous population total self-determination over the entirety of Palestine.

So, Both were offered Statehood

Jews accepted the offer

Muslims rejected the offer .

That's is why we now have a Jewish Israeli state and we don't have a Muslim Palestinians state .

Palestinians were given a Country, but they didn't want it

1 hour ago, Somjot said:

@Packer

It´s not his fault. Since he uses his history books as a replacement for the broken kitchen table leg he confuses things.

@Yagoda

Yes, it´s all right. Hitler loved gay men and never harmed them.

And of course there is a correlation between deviant sexuality and jew hate.

Speaking of deviant sexuality, tell us about that gay German jew hater, Epstein.

And don´t forget those gay Nazi German PDFiles, who sexually abused minors in the US and then escaped justice by impersonating Jews and hiding in Israel demanding their right to return.

Did you take all your meds today?

bet ya numbers wise, you germans are far more sexually deviant as well as criminal. germany has always been associated with inhuman brutality.

just think about the fact that the only reason you can spew your hate is because we let you lol. you are a pathetic little troll.

24 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

bet ya numbers wise, you germans are far more sexually deviant as well as criminal. germany has always been associated with inhuman brutality.

just think about the fact that the only reason you can spew your hate is because we let you lol. you are a pathetic little troll.

You really need to stop talking to yourself in the mirror, @ Yagoda

2 hours ago, Somjot said:

The Palestinians welcomed Jewish refugees with open arms and full of compassion, knowing that most nations had closed their borders, turned ships away (in the EVIAN Conference in France delegates from 32 countries discussed the Jewish refugee crisis, with most of them—including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom—refusing to accept large numbers of them.)

They knew.

0.2% of the global population wouldn't be missed. Wouldn't even be remembered.