Sebastia’s ruins turned into a battleground over land and heritage

Palestinian officials in Sebastia denounce an Israeli plan to expropriate 182 hectares around the hilltop ruins to build a visitors’ centre, fence, and new access routes, cutting residents off from olive groves and tourism. Backed by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, the project is framed by supporters as rejuvenating a historic site, but critics call it a mass land grab and warn it signals settlement expansion and a shift in heritage management since 1967.