Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa spoke during a visit to the historic town of Sebastia in the Nablus governorate in the northern West Bank.
Israel's strategy criticized
Mustafa stated that Israel's attacks in the West Bank are not limited to land control, saying, "What is happening is part of accelerating attempts to turn the occupation into an 'ethnic cleansing project.'"
Expressing that Israel thought events in Gaza would impose new realities upon it, Mustafa said, "Its hope was dashed. Gaza resisted despite destruction, killing, starvation, displacement, and suffering. Jerusalem resisted, Sebastia will resist, and our people will remain committed to their national and historical rights."
Importance of Sebastia emphasized
Prime Minister Mustafa said his visit was to confirm support for Sebastia's resistance and to emphasize that commitment to the land, heritage, and Palestinian identity is a political and national message.
He noted that Sebastia is not just an archaeological site but also a living Palestinian model of resistance, work, construction, and defiance.
Call for UNESCO listing
Mustafa highlighted the importance of protecting Palestine's civil and historical heritage, announcing that the government fully supports national efforts to have Sebastia registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
He stated this registration is a "strategic step" to protect the area from attempts to target, isolate, and Judaize it.
He called on national institutions, the local community, and Palestinians in the homeland and diaspora to support this process and to visit historical sites, especially Sebastia.
Toll in the West Bank
Since October 2023, 1,169 Palestinians have been killed and 12,666 injured in violent incidents in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Additionally, approximately 23,000 people have been detained, and 33,000 displaced.
