A/HRC/8/18 page 18 indicated in the map of the military order, the area where the new section will be constructed might also lead to the demolition of Kherbet ‘Alia (‘Alia Hamlet), a site that features the remains of a Roman town, mosaic flooring, water channels and rock-carved tombs, located in Artas village.47 During the reporting period, Israeli authorities still refused to grant permission to the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee to renovate 44 houses in the Old City of Hebron, reportedly because of their close proximity to Israeli settlements. 56. The unique cultural, architectural and historic sites of the Gaza Strip, which include Roman mosaics, a seventh-century Islamic mosque and a fifth-century Greek Orthodox church, were also at risk of natural decay owing to lack of conservation and preservation efforts and to damage caused during violent clashes. Reportedly, many objects of archaeological value were kept in private houses in an attempt to ensure better protection, however this practice may further increase the risk of damage or permanent loss. 57. On a positive note, a working group of some 50 Israeli and Palestinian archaeologists is reportedly preparing an agreement on Israeli-Palestinian cultural heritage. The agreement would reportedly be based on the assumption of a two-State solution and peaceful interaction. The archaeological professionals on both sides have agreed that the national territories of Israel and Palestine constitute a unified archaeological landscape divided by political borders. Bearing in mind the fact that archaeological resources are not renewable, the members of the working group share the opinion that both sides hold a special responsibility for the preservation of local archaeological heritage, as its significance extends far beyond national borders.48 IV. CONCLUSIONS 58. During the reporting period, the measures adopted by the Government of Israel to restrict freedom of movement of both people and goods in the Occupied Palestinian Territory severely impeded the population’s access to religious sites, notably in Jerusalem, cultural exchanges and events. The justification for the closure regime repeatedly cited by the Israeli authorities was the need to provide security and protection to all people within its jurisdiction.49 While the security of the population is undoubtedly an important consideration, the relevant measures should be 47 17 September 2007, Alternative Information Center (AIC), http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=1164. 48 49 Ha’aretz, 17 April 2008, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/973870.html. See for instance Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni’s address to the AHLC Donors’ Conference in London (http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Speeches+by+Israeli+leaders /2008/FM+Livni+addresses+AHLC+donors+conference+2-May-2008.htm) and B’Tselem, Ground to a Halt: Denial of Palestinians’ Freedom of Movement in the West Bank (August 2007) p. 92.