News Excerpt:

During its 46th session in New Delhi, the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO simultaneously added the Monastery of Saint Hilarion/Tell Umm Amer in Palestine to both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Need of Recognition:

• The site was recognized under the emergency inscription procedure due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, highlighting its cultural significance and the urgent need for protection.
• Palestine's Ambassador to UNESCO, Munir Anastas, criticized Israel for the destruction of cultural property in Gaza and called on all State Parties to urge Israel to cease hostilities.
• He emphasized that the inclusion of the site on the World Heritage List makes it a responsibility of all humanity, necessitating protection and support from the international community.

Monastery of Saint Hilarion

• The Monastery of Saint Hilarion, also known as Tell Umm Amer, dates back to the 4th century and is one of the earliest monastic sites in the Middle East. 
• It played a crucial role as a center for religious, cultural, and economic exchanges during the Byzantine period, strategically located at the crossroads of major trade routes between Asia and Africa.

Significance of inclusion:

• Once a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List of Humanity, 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.

International Support and Assistance: 

• The designation of the Monastery of Saint Hilarion as a World Heritage site in danger allows for increased international technical and financial assistance to safeguard the site and potentially facilitate its rehabilitation. 
• This recognition serves as a message of hope to the people of Gaza, who are currently facing severe hardships.

Previous Protective Measures: 

In December 2023, UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict had already granted the monastery 'provisional enhanced protection' under the 1954 Hague Convention and its Second Protocol, underscoring the site's importance and the need for its preservation amid ongoing threats.