Lebanon says Israeli air strikes and ground operations have damaged or destroyed historic landmarks across the country's south, raising fears that parts of its cultural heritage have been lost forever.
Culture Minister Ghassan Salamé said the full scale of the destruction is still unknown because Israeli troops continue to control parts of southern Lebanon, preventing officials from carrying out detailed assessments.
"We cannot work under the shadow of occupation," Salamé said. He added that some villages had been completely flattened.
"There are villages that have been completely bulldozed," he said.
Among the damaged locations are the UNESCO-listed ruins of Tyre, where part of an ancient Roman column was blown away during the fighting. The historic Mamluk market in Nabatieh was also badly damaged, while officials fear strikes may have affected the Crusader castle in Tebnin.
Salamé said Lebanon's heritage goes far beyond ancient ruins.
"Heritage is not only Roman and Phoenician antiquities," he said. "Heritage is also historic buildings, archaeological sites, and buildings with a cultural function."
Tyre, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, has survived thousands of years of conflict. Residents now say parts of the city have been reduced to rubble.
Standing among the damaged ruins, antiquities official Adnan Istanbouli said: "Look at the damage that happened to it, it's as if it all exploded from underneath, as if an earthquake hit it."
UNESCO has already voiced concern about damage to Tyre and other historic sites in southern Lebanon, including Beaufort Castle and the citadel in Chama.
Lebanon has asked the organisation to place Tyre on its list of World Heritage in Danger in the hope of securing greater international protection.
Israel's military said it does not deliberately target civilian infrastructure and only carries out strikes when there is a military necessity. It added that sensitive sites are taken into account during operational planning.
Salamé said he feared the destruction could permanently erase parts of Lebanon's shared history.
"There is something systematic: a systematic destruction of villages, hamlets, and entire towns," he said.
The United States launched a seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran as Tehran targeted U.S. allies in the Gulf, while tensions remain high in th...
A major wildfire in Spain's Aragon region has burned more than 15,000 hectares, forcing evacuations and prompting authorities to declare a level two e...
Actor Will Smith has become involved in a legal dispute between his estranged wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and his former friend Bilaal Salaam, who is se...
The United States launched a seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran as Tehran targeted U.S. allies in the Gulf, while tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz.
Actor Will Smith has become involved in a legal dispute between his estranged wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and his former friend Bilaal Salaam, who is seeking to question the Oscar-winning actor as part of an ongoing civil lawsuit.
A senior member of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ruling CDU party has resigned after having a baby born through a surrogate mother in the U.S., contrary to his own party’s position on surrogacy.
A landslide in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing killed at least eight people and left about 34 missing on Friday.
The half-time interval during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final is expected to be extended to around 30 minutes to accommodate the tournament’s first-ever major half-time concert.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
Nineteen years ago, at Barcelona's Camp Nou, Lionel Messi posed for a charity photo shoot with a five-month-old baby he had never met. On Sunday, that baby, Lamine Yamal, will face Messi in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final as Spain take on Argentina. A full-circle football story.
The U.S. military said it completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, targeting logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities. Iran responded by launching strikes at U.S. bases in neighbouring countries.
SpaceX's Starship rocket aborted its 13th flight test just seconds before liftoff in Texas on Thursday after some of its 33 engines failed to start. CEO Elon Musk said the company is likely to make another launch attempt early next week.
Aid organisations in Afghanistan are struggling to keep women in work as Taliban restrictions force them to spend more on male guardians, transport and separate workplaces, a June 2026 survey has found.
Iran's space programme is advancing with new communications, radar and Earth observation satellites despite conflict and sanctions, the head of the Iranian Space Agency has said. He also outlined expanded international cooperation and a revised long-term strategy.
Israel killed at least eight Palestinians in an airstrike that hit mourners attending a funeral in central Gaza on Friday, according to local health officials, in one of the deadliest attacks reported in the strip since a ceasefire took effect last October.
Uzbekistan and Italy's Tuscany region have agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, education and culture following talks between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tuscany Governor Eugenio Giani in Tashkent.
Iran struck eastern Syria on Friday, Iranian state media and a Syrian military source said, in the first known attack by Tehran on Syrian territory since a regional war erupted earlier this year.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment