Monday, April 15, 2013

Palestinians Nominate Site as UNESCO World Heritage Site, Then Bulldoze it


An amazing story. In 2012 the Palestinians nominated the ancient Anthedon Harbor in Gaza as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Just over a year later, Hamas Bulldozed it and built a new terrorist training camp on top of it:
"Earlier last month, amid overwhelming criticism from public figures and nongovernmental organizations, the military wing of the Islamic movement of Hamas, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, bulldozed a part of the ancient Anthedon Harbor in northern Gaza along the Mediterranean Sea. The Brigades damaged the harbor in order to expand its military training zone, which was initially opened on the location in 2002, according to Ejla.
The Anthedon seaport, which dates back over 3,000 years to the Mycenaean era, is considered one of the most important sites in the Middle East and is the oldest harbor in Gaza. It was designated an international heritage site by UNESCO in 2012. The location was discovered in 1997 on the space of 180,000 square meters. It contains mosaic floors with historical pillars from the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic ages."

I sent the story to UNWATCH, which a letter to UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova. 


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