The Monastery of Saint Hilarion in Gaza, listed as a World Heritage Site in Danger by UNESCO

This decision is motivated by the “imminent threats weighing on this heritage in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip”, according to UNESCO.

The Saint Hilarion Monastery in the Gaza Strip has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Danger due to the war between Israel and Hamas, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization announced on Friday, July 26.

“New inscription on the #WorldHeritageList and on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger: Monastery of Saint Hilarion/Tell Umm Amer, in #Palestine“, reported on X UNESCO, whose World Heritage Committee is currently meeting in New Delhi.This decision recognizes both the exceptional universal value of this site and the duty to protect it against imminent dangers.“, the UN organization explains in a press release.

“In view of the imminent threats to this heritage in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, the World Heritage Committee resorted to the emergency procedure provided for in the procedures of the World Heritage Convention.“, we can still read in this text.

“Located on the coastal dunes of the municipality of Nousseirat, the remains of the monastery of Saint Hilarion/Tell Umm Amer represent one of the oldest monastic sites in the Middle East, dating back to the 4th century.” writes UNESCO on its website. “First monastic community in the Holy Land“, founded by Saint Hilarion, “It allowed the spread of monastic practices in the region“, “illustrating the prosperity of the desert monastic centres of the Byzantine period“, according to the organization.

“The request (comes) from Palestine“, for who “This is the only recourse to protect the site from destruction in the current context“, explained to AFP Lazare Eloundou, the director of World Heritage.

Palestine was admitted as a full member of UNESCO in 2011, which initially led to the suspension of contributions from the United States, which then left the organization in 2017 under Donald Trump, followed by Israel.

The US State Department then justified its decision by saying:Persistent anti-Israeli bias” of UNESCO. In June 2023, however, Washington officially requested to rejoin UNESCO, under the aegis of Joe Biden. American First Lady Jill Biden was present in July 2023 at the ceremony marking the return of the United States to the institution. Israel has not returned to UNESCO.