UNESCO has included the Saint Hilarion Monastery in Palestine, also referred to as 'Tell Umm Amer', in its World Heritage List during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi. Concurrently, the site was also urgently added to the World Heritage in Danger list. This decision comes amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The monastery ruins are situated in An-Nuseirat town, about 10 km south of Gaza City and its port. The site holds a strategic location at the junction of significant trade and communication routes linking Asia and Africa, serving as a hub for religious, cultural, and economic interactions during the Byzantine era.
UNESCO announced on X, "Just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List & World Heritage in Danger List: Saint Hilarion Monastery/ Tell Umm Amer, #Palestine." The site is of exceptional historical, religious, architectural, and cultural importance, symbolizing a crucial step in the establishment of Christian monastic life in Palestine. The ruins of Saint Hilarion Monastery at Tell Umm Amer reflect the development of monastic life and architecture in Palestine and the eastern Mediterranean.
During the 46th session, Monir Anastas, the Palestinian Ambassador to UNESCO, expressed his appreciation to India and all committee members for their support in the inscription process. He stated, "I am honoured to have this inscription taking place in the greatest democracy in the world. Thank you, India. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all committee members for their valuable support of this inscription." He emphasized that the inscription is significant for the people of Palestine, particularly for those in Gaza who are escaping bombings without adequate shelter or provisions.
Anastas highlighted, "This inscription is very important for us because it is a message of hope to our people in Gaza, who are fleeing bombs with no shelter, no food or water. Through this inscription, we tell them we have not forgotten you, and UNESCO has not forgotten you either." He refrained from discussing the plight of innocent civilians, including children, women, elders, students, teachers, medical doctors, and journalists, focusing instead on the spirit and purpose of the convention.
During the session, Anastas urged committee members and all state parties to demand that Israel stop targeting cultural properties in the Gaza Strip and to end the ongoing war destructively. He stressed, "A state party must recognise that once its property is inscribed on the World Heritage List of Humanity, not UNESCO, it becomes a property of all humanity. This means that all state parties are responsible for the protection of any property on the World Heritage List."
The World Heritage Committee, one of the two governing bodies of the Convention for the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage, consists of representatives from 21 states elected from the 195 states parties to the Convention. During the current session from July 26 to July 29, the committee will review the dossiers of 27 sites proposed for inclusion on the World Heritage List, categorized as natural, mixed, and cultural.
