UNESCO Designates Sebastia and Lebanese Castles as World Heritage Sites

A UNESCO committee in Busan, South Korea, voted on Friday to add the archaeological site of Sebastia in the West Bank and five medieval castles in Lebanon's Mount Amel region to both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger. The committee utilized emergency procedures due to ongoing regional conflicts. Earlier in the week, the committee also added the ancient Lebanese city of Tyre to the endangered list following reports of deliberate demolition.

UNESCO defended its decision, stating that nomination proposals are examined based on rigorous technical requirements regardless of the state party concerned. Palestinian officials welcomed the designation of Sebastia, which they have sought since 2012, as a means to protect the site from Israeli land seizure plans and the development of a restricted national park. They specifically cited a late 2025 Israeli plan to seize approximately 1,800 dunams of land for area development.

Israel strongly condemned the move, calling it a weaponization of cultural heritage and an attempt to erase the site's Jewish history as the capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. Israeli officials also objected to the inclusion of Beaufort Castle in Lebanon, alleging that Hezbollah converted the site into a military stronghold with tunnels and rockets. Lebanese delegates rejected these claims, maintaining the castles are used exclusively for cultural and tourism purposes.