Seoul 22 July (SANA)- The UNESCO World Heritage Committee adopted four resolutions concerning Palestine, affirming the preservation of World Heritage sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger and declaring all Israeli measures aimed at altering the character, legal status, and historical significance of these sites invalid.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the resolutions were adopted during the 48th session of the Committee, held in Busan, South Korea.
The resolutions addressed the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls, the Old City of Hebron, the Monastery of St. Hilarion/Tell Umm Amer in Gaza, and Battir:
The Cultural Landscape south of Jerusalem, reaffirming the exceptional religious and cultural significance of Jerusalem.
The Committee affirmed the illegality of all Israeli measures, including the “Basic Law” on Jerusalem, and called for the dispatch of reactive monitoring missions to Jerusalem and Hebron to assess the state of conservation and provide professional recommendations for protecting the authenticity and universal value of the sites.
The Palestinian delegate to UNESCO, Adel Atieh, warned that Israeli violations are part of a systematic policy to bolster settlements and judaize Jerusalem. He pointed to recent attacks on the Ibrahimi Mosque, including construction work carried out without Palestinian consent or coordination with UNESCO.
He called on UNESCO and member states to uphold their political and legal responsibilities, halt the violations, and hold Israel, the occupying power, accountable for breaching international agreements.
Palestine affirmed that protecting cultural heritage is a collective international responsibility, stressing the need to safeguard it from destruction, distortion, and falsification, and to preserve its existing historical and legal status.
It concluded by emphasizing its continued commitment to working with UNESCO and member states to implement resolutions, document violations, and mobilize international support for the protection of Palestinian heritage, in light of escalating Israeli attacks on sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, particularly in occupied Jerusalem.
T.S /Mazen
