The Price of Conflict: Devastation of Cultural Heritage in War and Political Strife, the West Bank as a Case Study.

The recent wave of armed conflict in and around the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, has resulted in an unprecedented scale of looting and destruction of archaeological sites in the West Bank, with the aim of extracting valuable artefacts for personal financial gain. The antiquities looters used both traditional hand tools and heavy machinery in their plundering activities. This armed conflict (still ongoing as of this writing), which has led to the destruction of numerous archaeological sites in the Palestinian Territories, motivates this research. The primary objective of this study is to identify the impact of the recent political crisis on Palestinian archaeological sites, specifically focusing on the case studies of Khirbet Qusātīn, Khirbet Sīmiyā, and Khirbet ‘Abda, all located in Hebron governorate. The methodology employs a multidisciplinary approach, including field surveys, photography using cameras and drones, literature review, and analysis of available satellite imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]