RAMALLAH, West Bank — On Sept. 4, Israeli authorities issued an official notice in Hebrew announcing their intention to seize the archaeological sites of Khirbet Deir Samaan and Deir Qala, in the west of Salfit governorate in the northwestern West Bank, giving the residents 60 days to object to the decision.

The area of Khirbet Deir Samaan is approximately 6 dunums and 57 square meters (1.5 acres) , while the area of Deir Qala is 17 dunums (4.2 acres), and they represent two of the most prominent archaeological areas in Salfit.

The notice is the first step toward the full seizure of the two archaeological sites located in the villages of Kafr al-Deek and Deir Ballut, which are among the most prominent Roman and Byzantine archaeological monuments in the Palestinian territories and are 1,500 to 1,600 years old.

Khirbet Deir Samaan contains the ruins of an ancient Roman fortress. It has ruins of monasteries, water wells carved in rocks, mosaic-paved paths and water pools. It holds a strategic position given its elevated location overlooking the Palestinian coast.