UNESCO's World Heritage Committee named a site in the Gaza Strip — Saint Hilarion Monastery, or Tell Umm Amer — to both its "World Heritage" and "World Heritage In Danger" lists in late July. The decision, made during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India, reflects the ancient monastery's value and need for protection, according to UNESCO. The Committee inscribed the monastery — one of the oldest sites in the Middle East, according to UNESCO — to both lists using an emergency procedure set forth in the World Heritage Convention. Use of the emergency procedureSimultaneous inscriptions to UNESCO's World Heritage and its "In Danger" lists are rather common, a UNESCO spokesperson told CNBC. Use of UNESCO's emergency procedure fast-tracked Saint Hilarion Monastery/Tell Umm Amer's inclusion onto its World Heritage Lists, a procedure which normally takes at least two years.

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Persons: Umm Amer —, Hilarion, Umm Amer, Mohammed Abed, Biden Organizations: Heritage, World Heritage, UNESCO, UNESCO —, Heritage Convention, CNBC Travel, Getty, State Party, United States, CNBC, Workers Locations: Gaza, Hilarion, New Delhi, India, Israel, United States, Palestine, United, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Odesa, Saba, Saint Hilarion