Campaigners call for ruins to be included in annexation

Campaigners are calling on the Israeli government to declare sovereignty over ancient Jewish ruins on land in the occupied West Bank that Israel does not plan to annex under Donald Trump's peace plan.

The annexation plan, which the government is due to start discussing on Wednesday, envisages Israel annexing Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley.

Under the U.S. president's plan, a Palestinian state would be created in the rest of the West Bank, occupied by Israel since a 1967 war.

Israeli advocacy group "Safeguarding Eternity" is worried about what will happen to Jewish archaeological sites - such as forts dating back two millennia - on parts of the West Bank not included in the map.

Eitan Melet is the group's director.

"This entire plan, its right, its essence, is the connection of the Jewish people to their land and our heritage. And if we don't take our heritage sites into account and we leave them out, this plan has no right to exist at all."

It's a concern mirrored by Assaf Avraham - an archaeologist at Bar Ilan University.

"If this area won't be in hands, or under sovereignty which knows how to take care and maintain archaeological sites, and has the motivation to do so, we really fear for this place."

The Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry has dismissed such concerns, saying in a statement that it is

"able to protect and preserve the cultural heritage sites under Palestinian control, as maintenance and restoration work is carried out continuously."

Palestinians say Trump's plan is biased, and most world powers view Israel's settlements in the West Bank as illegal.