Palestine warns Israel not to establish illegal settlement outpost on archaeological site in Bethlehem

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday warned about the dangers of establishing an illegal settlement outpost at an archaeological site in Bethlehem, in the southern West Bank.

The bureau highlighted that “Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the establishment of the illegal outpost at the beginning of September.”
The bureau pointed out that Nahal Helitz is one of five illegal settlements deep in the occupied West Bank that were approved by the Israeli occupation government on June 27 to connect Jerusalem and other illegal settlements to the illegal Gush Etzion settlement block.
The bureau explained that the outpost’s establishment would “isolate Battir, with its cultural heritage, along with neighboring Palestinian villages, from Bethlehem and the rest of the occupied West Bank, in clear violation of the global charter for preserving world heritage sites.”
In 2014, UNESCO declared Battir a World Heritage Site in an emergency measure due to plans at the time to build the Israeli separation wall through its lands.
The village is distinguished by its traditional agricultural practices and stunning agricultural terraces.

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