UNESCO adds Lebanon and West Bank sites to endangered list
Sebastia near Nablus and five Jabal Amel castles face threats from conflict, land seizure and damage, UNESCO said.
UNESCO added the archaeological site of Sebastia in the West Bank and five historic castles in the Jabal Amel area of southern Lebanon to the World Heritage in Danger list. The decision was taken at the 48th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, through an emergency procedure. For Sebastia, the committee said the site's integrity was threatened by land seizure projects, Israeli development plans and restrictions that disrupt protection and preservation. The site near Nablus contains layers of history from the Iron Age to the Ottoman era. In Lebanon, UNESCO said the fortresses were damaged and remained at risk because of the war, including Beaufort Castle, or Qalaat al-Shakif, which Israeli forces seized in May.