Israel plans to seize large parts of Sebastia, a major archaeological site in the West Bank, according to a government document obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday. The Civil Administration’s notice marks what Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog, described as Israel’s largest expropriation of archaeologically significant land, covering around 1,800 dunams.

The announcement comes amid continued settler expansion, with a new, unauthorized outpost established overnight near Bethlehem. Palestinian authorities report heightened tensions, including the detention and hospitalization of a West Bank activist.

Human Rights Watch has further raised concerns, alleging that Israel may have committed war crimes in the forcible expulsion of 32,000 Palestinians from three West Bank refugee camps this year. The developments intensify international scrutiny of Israeli settlement policies in Palestinian territories.