Israel plans settlement on UNESCO site, breaches international law: report

Israel has plans to construct a new illegal settlement on a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

According to a report in Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the construction of the new settlement, Heletz, planned for the Gush Etzion settlement bloc in the occupied West Bank, appears to violate the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, to which Israel is a signatory.

In August, the Civil Administration, Israel's governing body in the occupied West Bank, published a map of 607028 square meters of area intended for the construction of Heletz near the Palestinian village of Battir.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is recognised for its historic dry-stone terrace farms, lush olive tree groves, and a centuries-old irrigation system that sustains the lives of over 40 percent of the village's 5,000 people.

The United States has condemned Israel's approval of a settlement on a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Bethlehem, pointing to its harm to prospects for a Palestinian state.

Far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the move, openly saying that Israel hoped to create new "facts on the ground" to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

"Every single one of these new settlements would impede Palestinian economic development and freedom of movement and undermine the feasibility of a two-state solution," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

"We find that to be inconsistent with international law, and we certainly oppose the advancement of settlements in the occupied West Bank," he said.

Ancient terraces

In 2014, UNESCO recognised the ancient terraces at Battir as a World Heritage Site at the request of the Palestinian Authority. The request was filed in response to Israel's intention to erect a separation fence in the area.

Battir's agricultural terrain remains intact, and Palestinian farmers continue to use it.

Israel ratified the convention in 1999, and as a result, it made a legal commitment to safeguard cultural sites in its jurisdiction while refraining from taking purposeful actions that may directly or indirectly harm heritage sites in other nations' jurisdictions.

Although Israel left UNESCO seven years ago, it never revoked its signature or responsibilities under the pact.