RAMALLAH, July 16, 2026 (WAFA) – The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced Thursday the inscription of 12 new Palestinian sites on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List, in cooperation with the Permanent Delegation of the State of Palestine to UNESCO. This brings the total number of Palestinian sites on the tentative list to 23.
The Ministry affirmed that this achievement reflects national efforts to enhance the presence of Palestinian heritage internationally, highlight its cultural and natural diversity, and solidify its status as an integral part of global human heritage.
It noted that inclusion on the Tentative List is a key step toward preparing nomination files for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The move also enhances opportunities for protecting and preserving these sites while expanding international cooperation in heritage conservation and management.
The Ministry added that this achievement comes amidst a dangerous escalation by the occupation against Palestinian heritage sites. Recently, the occupation has targeted a number of important archaeological sites, such as Sebastia, Solomon's Pools, and the Ibrahimi Mosque, with the aim of isolating these sites from their surroundings and seizing control over them.
It renewed its commitment to continue working on documenting and protecting Palestinian cultural heritage, despite the challenges facing heritage and archaeological sites, in order to ensure their preservation for future generations.
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