{"id":16320,"date":"2026-05-26T20:59:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T20:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/palestine.icomos.org\/?post_type=reports&p=16320"},"modified":"2026-05-26T21:07:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T21:07:34","slug":"statement-of-condemnation-and-warning-issued-by-the-palestine-association-on-monuments-and-sites-icomos-regarding-the-raid-on-the-old-hebron-museum","status":"publish","type":"reports","link":"https:\/\/palestine.icomos.org\/ar\/reports\/statement-of-condemnation-and-warning-issued-by-the-palestine-association-on-monuments-and-sites-icomos-regarding-the-raid-on-the-old-hebron-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"Statement of Condemnation and Warning issued by the Palestine Association on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) regarding the raid on the Old Hebron Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Palestine Association on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS Palestine) expresses its strong condemnation of the continuous
\nassaults and deliberate targeting by the Israeli occupation forces on Palestinian museums through repeated raids and partial or
\ntotal destruction, in addition to looting them and plundering their architectural possessions and heritage acquisitions. This
\ncomes within the context of Judaization schemes and attempts to erase cultural identity as part of a systematic policy of erasure
\nand extermination of Palestinian cultural heritage.
\nSince the 7th of October 2023, Palestinian museums in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip have witnessed a fierce
\naggression by Israeli occupation authorities in the form of multiple assaults and Judaization schemes. The last of these
\ncontinuous assaults was the occupation authorities\u2019 raid on the Old Hebron Museum in the Old Town of Hebron, which is
\nconsidered an architectural icon and a major monument in the World Heritage Property of the \u201cOld Town of Hebron\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Interpretive Museum \u2013 Old Town of Hebron<\/p>\n

The museum is located within a prominent historical building at the entrance of the Old Town, distinguished by its unique
\narchitectural style and embodying a complete collection of heritage values. Its historical significance dates back to the British
\nMandate in Palestine (1917-1948), an architecturally significant period in Palestine that saw the entry of modern construction
\nmaterials and methods, making the building an architectural model reflecting the features of that era. It is also prominent in
\naesthetic value, which is manifested in its architectural style and diverse elements of ornamentation visible on its walls and
\nmain entrance, in addition to its internal elements such as colorful decorated tiles, unique wooden features, and window
\nspecifications like wooden frames and stained glass. In addition, the building has a social and economic significance represented
\nin the historical events relating to it, and its different uses throughout various ages. All these values assure the outstanding
\nsignificance of this building and the importance of preserving it, and from here, the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee restored
\nthe building and utilized it as the Interpretive Museum that reflects the civilization of the Old Town of Hebron and its culture in
\nthe broader Palestinian context.
\nThe museum today operates under the supervision of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee since 20211<\/p>\n

, playing an active role
\nas a cultural institute that seeks to transmit the city\u2019s history and culture to local and international visitors through interpretive
\nmaterials, archaeological artifacts, exhibitions and culture education programs. Its exhibits include history, architecture and
\ntraditional crafts, displayed via images, video recordings and interpretive exhibition media, in addition to hosting a group of
\narchaeological artifacts and materials that represent the different historical phases of the city\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Part of the archaeological artifacts in the interpretive museum<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\"
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84-
\n%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-Old-Hebron-Museum-100075684947930\/<\/p>\n

Local and international visitations to the museum<\/p>\n

On March 4th 2026, at around 3:00am, an Israeli force raided the interpretive museum through the rooftops of neighboring
\nresidential buildings \u2013 where it stormed the buildings and broke through the door leading to the rooftop. During the raid,
\nsoldiers brought in mattresses and occupied the building for a period of time, converting it into a temporary military outpost,
\nwithout any legal justification. 24 hours later, the force withdrew from the museum after confiscating the keys to the facility,
\nwhich constitutes a dangerous violation of the site\u2019s sanctity and safety, threatening possible material damages and theft,
\nsabotage, destruction or loss of its artifacts. The closure of the museum has also deprived the local community and visitors from
\nreaching this important cultural and educational monument.<\/p>\n

Images showing parts of the raid on the interpretive museum by the Israeli occupation forces from inside<\/p>\n

The raid and closure of the museum resulted in many negative consequences that threaten the historical building and its
\narchaeological acquisitions, the local community and visitors, and the administration of the site in general. The museum\u2019s
\nproximity to a number of Israeli occupation settlements forms an additional threat, as the building could be seized to facilitate
\nthe expansion of these settlements (Attachment (1)). The raid exposes the building to material damages and gravely endangers
\narchaeologicalartifacts, threatening their destruction, shatter, theft or loss. Moreover, its closure deprives the local community
\nand visitors from reaching it, undermining its role as a center for cultural and educational consciousness. This condition also
\ndisrupts the daily management of this World Heritage Property, as the museum is located at the entrance to the Old Town and
\nalong its main tourist route.
\nThus, this assault constitutes a flagrant violation of the binding international agreements, at the forefront of which are the
\nFourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the Hague Convention of 1954 regarding to the protection of cultural acquisitions in
\nthe case of disarmament, and the UNESCO agreements of 1970 and 1972 regarding the protection of cultural and natural
\nheritage. It also constitutes a violation of the obligations of protecting shared human heritage, as the Old Town of Hebron is
\nenlisted in the World Heritage in Danger List since 2017.
\nThe Palestine Association on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS Palestine) calls on the international community, UNESCO, World
\nHeritage Centre, ICOMOS International, and the global diplomatic system to assume their legal and moral responsibilities
\ntowards Palestinian heritage sites, at the forefront of which are museums, considering them institutes that preserve collective
\nmemory and civilizational identity. It calls for an urgent intervention for the cessation of violations by the Israeli occupation
\nagainst the interpretive museum, provision of international protection for the building and the archaeological artifacts it<\/p>\n

contains, and standing in opposition against the occupation\u2019s schemes of Judaizing and seizing it. The Association assures that
\nthe continuation of these violations constitutes a direct threat to Palestinian cultural identity \u2013 an indivisible part of
\nhumanitarian identity \u2013 and undermines the system protecting and managing it. Thus, it holds the occupation authorities fully
\nresponsible for any possible damages on the museum and its artifacts, and calls on international and legal institutes to take
\ndeterrent procedures that guarantee the protection of this monument, preserving it intact for future generations.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-16320","reports","type-reports","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/palestine.icomos.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reports\/16320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/palestine.icomos.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reports"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/palestine.icomos.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reports"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/palestine.icomos.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}