NABLUS, Israeli forces Wednesday removed road signs placed in the archaeological site in the town of Sabastiya to the northwest of Nablus, said a local official.
Mayor of Sabastiya, Mohammad ‘Azem, said Israeli soldiers stormed the town amid the heavy firing of live rounds, before proceeding to remove the road signs written in both Arabic and English, and which were placed by the town’s municipality to help visitors and tourists discover the archaeological sites in the town, which is considered a Palestinian site.
The mayor noted that Israeli forces previously threatened the municipality to remove the road signs if the Hebrew translation was not included on the road signs.
Sebastia is an archeological city to the west of Nablus in the northern West Bank of about 3,000 Palestinian residents.
Besides being archeological city, it has religious significance for Muslims and Christians alike because it is believed that John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus in Jordan River, is buried there.
Israel had prevented the Palestinian Authority from carrying out restoration work on the site under the pretext it is located within Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli military control according to Palestinian-Israeli Oslo Accord.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency
