Overview
- An Israeli Civil Administration document confirms an intention to take large areas of the Sebastia archaeological site in the occupied West Bank.
- Peace Now estimates the targeted area at about 1,800 dunams (180 hectares/450 acres) and characterizes it as the largest planned seizure of archaeologically significant land.
- Israel previously announced a tourism development plan for Sebastia in 2023, with excavations underway and more than 30 million shekels allocated to the project.
- Israeli settlers say they set up a new unauthorized outpost near Bethlehem, with local settler leaders publicly welcoming the move.
- Human Rights Watch reports that Israeli operations earlier this year displaced about 32,000 Palestinians from three West Bank refugee camps and alleges potential war crimes.