Khaberni - The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities condemned what the occupation authorities had done by stealing archaeological columns from Khirbet al-Burj in the village of Al-Mazra'a al-Sharqiya northeast of Ramallah.
The ministry stated in a statement today, Friday, that Israeli occupation army forces stormed the village accompanied by a bulldozer and crane, where they bulldozed parts of the site, looted its contents, and stole archaeological columns dated to the Byzantine period.
The ministry said that this assault represents a breach of the law and international agreements, including the 1954 Hague Convention and its 1956 and 1999 Protocols, and also breaches UNESCO conventions from 1970 and 1972.
The ministry’s statement demanded international institutions to urgently intervene to save Palestine's national heritage and to stop the ongoing looting by the occupation authorities, and the ministry confirmed it would follow up these assaults with international institutions, including UNESCO, and demanded the return of the stolen archaeological materials from the site.
