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Israel has issued an order to seize 2,000 dunams (494 acres) of land in the northern occupied West Bank, including a major archaeological site near the town of Sebastia, a Palestinian official said Tuesday.
Moayad Shaaban, head of the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said the expropriation order targets land belonging to Sebastia and Burqa in the Nablus governorate. He described it as a continuation of a prior notice of intent issued on Jan. 18, 2025.
Shaaban said the land would be allocated exclusively for Israeli settlers and warned that the move reflects a broader policy of using legal and administrative measures to advance settlement objectives.
Shaaban said the order extends beyond the archaeological site itself to surrounding agricultural areas, including olive groves owned by Palestinian residents, effectively expanding Israeli control over the area.
Sebastia, located along the main road between Nablus and Jenin, covers about 4,777 dunams (1,180 acres). According to the Palestinian Tourism Ministry, the site dates back to the Bronze Age and contains remains from Canaanite, Roman, Byzantine, Phoenician, and Islamic periods.
In November last year, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the Israeli Civil Administration was preparing to expropriate privately owned land in the area to develop the Sebastia site, including extensive olive orchards belonging to Palestinians.
Earlier this month, the Israeli government adopted additional measures expanding enforcement powers in parts of the West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority, citing construction, water, and heritage-related violations.
In July 2024, Israel’s parliament approved a preliminary reading of a bill seeking to apply the Israeli Antiquities Law to the West Bank and authorize the Israel Antiquities Authority to operate there.
A revised version introduced in December last year aimed to extend Israeli authority over antiquities and heritage sites in the West Bank, including Areas A and B, where the Palestinian Authority exercises civilian control.
Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023.
Palestinians view the escalation, including killings, arrests, displacement and settlement expansion, as steps toward formal annexation.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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