Israeli forces confiscate five historical artefacts in the occupied West Bank
Israeli army raids a mountainous area and seizes Byzantine-era historical columns from an archaeological site, according to eyewitnesses.
Israeli forces confiscated five historical artefacts yesterday in the town of Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to eyewitnesses.
The Israeli army, accompanied by Israeli Civil Administration teams, raided a mountainous area in the town and seized five Byzantine-era historical columns from an archaeological site, eyewitnesses said.
Recent Israeli media reports claimed the columns were confiscated on allegations that Palestinians were constructing buildings in the area and damaging historical artefacts.
Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Hani al-Hayek has said that Israeli attacks have completely or partially destroyed 316 archaeological and historical sites, noting that the attacks are "war crimes aimed at erasing Palestine's history."
Muayyad Shaban, head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said earlier that Israel plans to confiscate 4,600 dunams (1,137 acres) of land in the towns of Sebastia and Burqa near Nablus in the West Bank under the pretext of protecting archaeological sites.