Israel's air and ground campaign in southern Lebanon has damaged and destroyed a number of important cultural heritage sites, including ancient ruins in the port city of Tyre, a Mamluk-era market in Nabatieh, and historic border villages. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
According to the agency, in Tyre, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a capital was knocked off an ancient column.
In another town in southern Lebanon, a pilgrimage site important to both Muslims and Christians was destroyed. Israeli strikes also damaged a Mamluk-era market in the city of Nabatieh, and troops destroyed centuries-old Lebanese border towns.
What the country's Ministry of Culture says
Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh told Reuters that Israel's nearly four-month-long air and ground campaign, which they call an operation against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, has caused significant damage to heritage sites in the south of the country.
Despite the ceasefire that took effect a week ago, Lebanese authorities have not yet been able to fully assess the extent of the destruction. According to Salameh, Israeli troops are still present in a zone about 10 km deep inside Lebanese territory, to which the Lebanese side has no access.
We cannot work in the shadow of the occupation
He emphasized that cultural heritage is not just Roman and Phoenician antiquities.
Heritage also includes historical buildings, archaeological sites, and buildings with a cultural function
According to Salameh, the zone controlled by Israeli troops includes the medieval Beaufort Castle, as well as centuries-old villages where Christians, Shia Muslims, and Sunni Muslims lived. Places of worship for these communities are also located there.
There are villages that have been completely razed to the ground by bulldozers
At the same time, cities located outside this zone also suffered airstrikes. Among them are Tyre and Nabatieh. Heavy bombardments also hit the town of Tebnine, raising concerns about possible damage to its Crusader fortress.
Israel's position
In response to a Reuters inquiry, the Israeli military stated that it does not intend to "cause excessive harm to civilian infrastructure" and only carries out strikes out of military necessity, taking into account the safety of Israeli citizens. This refers, in particular, to residents of the north of the country who have been targets of Hezbollah attacks.
The Israeli army also stated that it took into account the presence of "sensitive sites" and applied a "strict approval procedure." Israel accused Hezbollah of placing weapons in Beaufort Castle. Lebanese authorities deny this.
Ancient ruins under attack
Modern Lebanon is located at the crossroads of several civilizations, including Phoenician, Byzantine, Mamluk, and Crusader. Their heritage is preserved in temples, castles, mausoleums, and archaeological sites.
Tyre and its Roman ruins are nearly 5,000 years old. The city was founded as an island fortress and was finally connected to the mainland by the troops of Alexander the Great.
After the latest war, a large part of the city has turned into ruins. According to Reuters, near the ancient columns erected in honor of long-forgotten gods, dust-covered cars with shattered windows stand. Barriers that were supposed to protect archaeological sites from strikes or debris were thrown by the blast wave inside the site itself.
Recall
Earlier we wrote that the war in Iran could lead to mass famine among vulnerable population groups.