Israel exercises direct control over the 20 per cent of
Hebron City, known as H2, which is home to some 33,000
Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers. This area
has witnessed multiple cycles of violence in the context of
continuing settlement activities, which are in contravention
of international law.
The inscribed property is situated 10 km south of Jerusalem on the site identified by Christian tradition as the birthplace of Jesus since the 2nd century. A church was first completed there in ad 339 and the edifice that replaced it after a fire in the 6th century retains elaborate floor mosaics from the original building. The site also includes Latin, Greek Orthodox, Franciscan and Armenian convents and churches, as well as bell towers, terraced gardens and a pilgrimage route.
Located in the Central Highlands between Nablus and Hebron, just a few kilometers southwest of Jerusalem, lies the remarkable site of Battir. This breathtaking hill landscape is characterized by a series of fertile valleys known as widian, adorned with stunning stone terraces. These terraces serve a variety of purposes, with some being used for market garden production and others adorned with flourishing grapevines and olive trees.
