Lead

A United Nations committee on Friday inscribed a major archaeological site in the West Bank and a group of castles in southern Lebanon on the World Heritage List, despite objections from Israel, which had urged the committee to reject the bids. The decision, made at a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) meeting in Busan, South Korea, placed six locations on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger under an emergency procedure, citing the toll of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

The listings include Sebastia, a hilltop town about 10 kilometres northwest of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, and five fortresses in Lebanon's Mount Amel region, among them Beaufort Castle, a medieval stronghold captured by Israeli forces in May during their military operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

Coverage Comparison

All three outlets reporting on the decision — Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, and France 24 — emphasized that the listings were approved despite a campaign by Israel's foreign ministry to have them rejected. Israel's Foreign Ministry had urged the committee to reject the designation efforts, calling the nominations a "weaponisation of cultural heritage" or "weaponization of cultural heritage" depending on the outlet.

The outlets differed slightly in their framing. Al Jazeera described the sites as being in the occupied West Bank and Lebanon, while Deutsche Welle and France 24 both referred to the West Bank with the occupied qualifier. All three placed the decision in the context of the ongoing Israeli military operations and regional conflict, with France 24 noting the vote came days after Israel's Foreign Ministry urged rejection.

Deutsche Welle and France 24 both mentioned that the emergency review was justified by the "serious enough to justify resorting to an emergency procedure" threats to the fortresses, with UNESCO noting the sites had sustained damage.

Key Claims

UNESCO updated its List of World Heritage in Danger, placing Sebastia and five Lebanese castles on both the main list and the endangered list. The decision was made at a meeting in Busan, South Korea, and cited ongoing conflicts in the region. Israel objected to the designations, with its foreign ministry calling the nominations a "weaponisation of cultural heritage."

Beaufort Castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, is a Crusader fortress that Israeli forces captured in May during their operations in southern Lebanon. The mountainous area where the five Jabal Amel castles are located has come under repeated Israeli bombardment, according to Deutsche Welle. France 24 reported that the five castles are recognized for their layered architectural heritage.

Sebastia, identified as ancient Samaria, the capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel, is an important site for the Palestinian tourism industry. Its ruins span the Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods, and Christian and Islamic tradition holds that John the Baptist was buried there. Palestinian officials first sought the listing in 2012, arguing the site needed protection as Israeli authorities pushed ahead with plans to expropriate roughly 200 hectares (500 acres) of surrounding land for a national park. That project would add a fence, entry fees and a road restricted to use by Israelis, bypassing the Palestinian tourism trade built around the ruins, as reported by Al Jazeera. Deutsche Welle also noted that Israel has developed an interest in the site in recent years.

Lebanon's Culture Minister Ghassan Salame told the French AFP news agency that only two of the castles were "within the Lebanese government's reach" and accused Israel of having already destroyed Shamaa Castle and of threatening to demolish Beaufort. Salame described the UNESCO listing as a "remarkable achievement in the effort to protect these important Lebanese historical landmarks." The Lebanese culture ministry said Israeli bombardment had already destroyed some of the fortresses, according to Al Jazeera.

Two contested claims appear in the coverage: that Hezbollah turned Beaufort Castle into a military stronghold by building tunnels beneath the site and launching rockets from the area, and that the castles in southern Lebanon have been used only for cultural and tourism purposes since Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. These claims were not featured in all reports, and the conflicting assertions were not reconciled in the available coverage.

Perspectives

Israel: Objected to the UNESCO designations, with its foreign ministry urging the committee to reject the bids and calling the nominations a "weaponisation of cultural heritage."

Lebanese government: Welcomed the listings as a protective measure. Culture Minister Ghassan Salame called the decision a "remarkable achievement" and accused Israel of destroying Shamaa Castle and threatening Beaufort.

Palestinian officials: Sought the listing for Sebastia since 2012, arguing the site needed protection from Israeli expropriation plans and to preserve the Palestinian tourism trade.