Lebanon Heritage Site Damaged by Israeli Bombardment

Israeli bombardment has caused significant damage to a World Heritage site in Tyre, a historic city in southern Lebanon. An official from the culture ministry confirmed the damage on Monday, as correspondents observed debris and destruction near the ancient ruins.

Tyre, one of the oldest Mediterranean coastal cities, lies approximately 20 kilometers from the Israeli border. Its UNESCO World Heritage listed ruins are situated in two main areas. Since the latest conflict erupted with Hezbollah, Israel's military has heavily bombed the city. On Sunday, an evacuation warning was issued for districts including one of the archaeological areas, known as the city site, which contains Roman ruins.

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The amount of debris and damage at the site is high.

AFP correspondents on Monday witnessed dust and debris near ancient columns following the previous day's bombardment. Twisted metal and broken tree branches were seen near several stone artifacts, with concrete and metal debris also scattered onto a stone stairway. Ali Badawi, regional director of archaeological sites for south Lebanon, stated that Sunday's bombardment had the most severe impact on Tyre's ancient areas since the war began.

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Some archaeological artefacts were damaged when rubble fell on them, as debris fell over a large area, impacting a large number of elements at the site -- columns, capitals, column bases, mosaics.

Badawi noted that archaeological artifacts were damaged by falling rubble, with debris impacting numerous elements like columns, capitals, column bases, and mosaics. He mentioned that a preliminary damage assessment is underway, but experts cannot access the site due to safety risks. UNESCO has already been notified. Since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in 2023, UNESCO has provided provisional enhanced protection, its highest level of legal protection, to over 70 heritage sites in Lebanon, including Tyre.

"This is a civilian site, a World Heritage site, it's not a military site at all, and there are no military activities there," Badawi emphasized, highlighting the non-military nature of the targeted area. He added that another part of the site in Tyre, Al-Bass, had sustained damage earlier in the conflict. In late May, Lebanon's Culture Minister Ghassan Salame warned that Israeli strikes on the country's south were putting heritage sites in "serious danger."

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This is a civilian site, a World Heritage site, it's not a military site at all, and there are no military activities there.