Iran Press/ West Asia: The UN declared the Old City of Hebron a heritage site on Friday, sparking Israeli fury and Palestinian jubilation.
Hebron claims to be one of the world’s oldest cities, dating from the chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC.Over the centuries, Romans, Jews, Crusaders, Mamluks and the British have conquered the city, which today lies in the southern part of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank.
The city which is holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews is the largest in the West Bank, with more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers.Israel seized the West Bank including Hebron in 1967 in a move never recognized by the international community.
The enlisting of Tell es-Sultan by UNESCO was welcomed by the Palestinian authorities, including Mahmoud Abbas, who considered this action a sign of the authenticity and rich history of the Palestinian nation.
