Israel announces shrine placed under Antiquities Authority control — Anadolu Agency
In Palestine, in Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces during raids posted notices placing the Muslim Bint Yaqub shrine under the authority of the Israel Antiquities Authority. This was reported by Anadolu Agency, citing the Palestinian agency Wafa.
According to Wafa, the Bint Yaqub shrine was among the sites declared to fall under the authority of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Historical structure
The shrine is a two-story building: the lower floor dates to the Roman period, while the upper floor dates to the Mamluk era. The structure has domes, a prayer room and a passage to the lower floor.
In front of the building are two stone pools and two structures from the Roman period. Nearby is the modern Al-Fakhara building, associated with pottery production and equipped with a kiln. The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, jointly with the Tulkarm municipality, restored and developed the site in 2002–2004.
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Palestinian response
The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf condemned the actions of the Israeli authorities, which, in its assessment, declared the shrine an archaeological area under the control of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The ministry stated that the site is located on Islamic waqf land and called the decision part of a policy of seizure and confiscation of waqf lands for settlement and expansionist plans.
The ministry called on international and human rights organizations to urgently intervene to protect religious waqf lands and property. During the raids, similar notices were also posted in Izbat Abu Yasin in the village of Iktaba, the village of Al-Hafasi and other locations concerning significant land areas due to the presence of archaeological sites on them.
In February, the Israeli government expanded the authority of the Civil Administration's archaeology official to sites in areas partly administered by the Palestinian Authority, Israeli organization Emek Shaveh reported. In May, the Knesset approved at first reading a bill to establish a civilian body to manage archaeological and cultural sites in the West Bank instead of the Civil Administration's archaeology unit, but further progress on the document stopped.
