The Palestinian Authority (PA) issued a warning on Sunday regarding an Israeli plan to annex and transfer control of more than 142 archaeological sites in Hebron Governorate to a civilian body linked to the Israeli government.
Key Sites Under Threat
Jabr Al-Rajoub, director of the Tourism and Antiquities Directorate in Hebron, said that the plan aimed to benefit Israeli settlement projects in these areas while simultaneously excluding Palestinians, according to the Palestine News Agency. The sites are managed and controlled by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a unit within the Israeli Ministry of Defense. They are situated in Area C, which is under Israeli military control and comprises 60 percent of the occupied West Bank.
Al-Rajoub said that two significant sites face an imminent threat from the plan: The Ein Faraa archaeological area and the Nabi Saleh shrine, both of which are located east of the town of Idhna in Hebron. Last year, Israeli settlers in the area constructed an illegal outpost called Adorayim.
Israeli Policy and International Reaction
The Israeli policy seeks to impose new realities on Palestinian archaeological and religious sites, Al-Rajoub added. He also warned that roofing and restoration work carried out at the Ibrahimi Mosque since last week reinforces this policy in Hebron. Since late 2023, Israel has accelerated its de facto annexation efforts in the occupied West Bank — despite international outcry — through legal motions, numerous tenders for building settlements and military orders to seize Palestinian land.
According to the PA, the plan would effectively transfer control of these heritage sites to a civilian body that promotes settlement expansion, further entrenching Israeli presence in the occupied territory. The international community has consistently condemned such moves as violations of international law.
