From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Israel halts Palestinian construction work amid expansion of Israel Antiquities Authority’s powers
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent
The Civil Administration halted construction work and confiscated an excavator belonging to Palestinians in the Jericho area of the West Bank, in Area A, as part of an expansion of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s powers.
In February, the security cabinet approved broad enforcement powers for the Antiquities Authority, including measures ostensibly aimed at preventing damage to archaeological sites in Areas A and B. Under the Oslo Accords, responsibility for archaeology in those areas lies with the Palestinian Authority.
Monday’s incident appears to be the first time such action has been taken since the decision was approved four months ago.
A local resident, Iyad Makhalis, tells The Times of Israel that work began on Monday to open an additional road in the area, which he said was needed because of difficulties reaching the Palestinian village of Ein ad-Duyuk, north of Jericho.
The Times of Israel has learned that the work was part of an organized Palestinian Authority plan to replace the existing road with a safer one.
Archaeological remains are located in the area, and excavations have previously been carried out there.
According to Makhalis, the civilian security coordinator of one of the nearby settlements arrived at the location on Monday morning and confiscated the excavator’s keys. Later that day, IDF forces arrived and confiscated the excavator itself on behalf of the Civil Administration.
In response to a query from The Times of Israel, the Civil Administration says it received a report regarding an excavator operating near the outskirts of Jericho, in Area A, “to open a route in the vicinity of an archaeological site containing a Jewish cemetery and numerous historical artifacts.”
“Upon receiving the report, officers from the Jordan Valley District Coordination and Liaison Headquarters, together with the inspection unit, acted to confiscate the excavator in accordance with authorities and procedures aimed at protecting archaeological sites throughout Judea and Samaria,” the administration says, using the biblical name for the West Bank.
המנהל האזרחי עצר השבוע לראשונה עבודות פלסטיניות בשטח A בנימוק של פגיעה באתר ארכיאולוגי, בעקבות החלטת קבינט להרחיב את האכיפה גם לשטחי A ו-B. בפברואר השנה אישר הקבינט אכיפה גורפת של רשות העתיקות – ובתוך כך פגיעה באתרים ארכיאולוגים – גם בשטחי A ו-B. לפי הסכמי –> pic.twitter.com/XVe3pWiKoO
— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) June 24, 2026
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