RAMALLAH, July 8 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestine hailed the latest resolutions of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), that call for the protection of Palestinian heritage sites from Israeli moves.
Member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Hanan Ashrawi said, the decision is important at a time of “increasing Israeli actions against Palestinian heritage sites,” specifically within its annexation plan that is likely to take over historical and archaeological sites in the West Bank.
“We welcome the adoption of two resolutions by the Executive Committee of UNESCO, on the need to preserve educational and cultural institutions in Palestine and protect heritage sites in occupied Jerusalem, Hebron and other Palestinian cities,” Ashrawi said.
“These resolutions … reaffirm the need to confront the dangerous and illegal actions taken by Israel against these heritage sites,” she added.
Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki, urged UNESCO to “put further pressures on Israel” to stop its actions against Palestinian heritage, and to ensure its respect to UNESCO resolutions.
UNESCO was the first UN body to accept the admission of Palestine as a member, before it was voted as a non-member state of UN in 2012.
