The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Wednesday cordoned off the archeological area of Sebastia town northwest of Nablus in the West Bank before scores of Jewish settlers swarmed the same area under military protection.
Sebastia mayor Mohamed Azzam said that Israeli soldiers were deployed around the archeological area to secure the presence of settlers who visited the site on allegations of performing rituals.
Azem noted that skirmishes took place between school students from the town and Israeli soldiers who fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse them.
He told Quds Press that the Israeli occupation regime persistently targets the archeological site of Sebastia and refuses to allow the Palestinian side to carry out renovations and repairs to the place at the pretext that it is located in an Israeli-controlled area.
The Israeli occupation authority is trying to take control of the archaeological area through increasing visits to the site by settlers and moving any sign that show it as a Palestinian area.
