The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has added the archaeological site of Sebastia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank to both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The nomination was made despite objections from Israel, which had urged the committee to reject the bids, during a meeting in South Korea's Busan, after reviewing the nomination on an emergency basis, citing ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

The committee also decided to place five castles in Lebanon’s Mount Amel area on the lists. It said the castles in Lebanon date from the medieval period to the 19th century and “illustrate successive phases of occupation and adaptation by Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk, Ottoman, and local feudal rulers”.

— UNESCO (@UNESCO) July 24, 2026