Israel’s Civil Administration announced its intention to expropriate large swaths of Sebastia, a major archaeological site in the West Bank, in the document obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday. Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group, said the site is around 1,800 dunams (450 acres) — Israel’s largest seizure of archeologically important land.
The move came as Israeli settlers celebrated the creation of a new, unauthorized settlement near Bethlehem, and a Palestinian lawyer said a West Bank activist has been detained and hospitalized.