On Monday, UNESCO granted "provisional enhanced protection" to numerous heritage sites in Lebanon, providing them with a greater level of legal safeguarding amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah militants. According to a statement from the United Nations cultural organization, the 34 cultural properties now enjoy the highest degree of immunity against attacks and military utilization.
Recent Israeli airstrikes in Baalbek, located in the east, and Tyre in the south—both of which are strongholds of the Iran-backed Hezbollah—have occurred in proximity to ancient Roman ruins recognized as World Heritage sites.
UNESCO emphasized that this decision serves to convey a critical message to the international community regarding the urgent necessity to safeguard these sites.
The organization further noted that failure to adhere to these protections could be deemed "serious violations" of the 1954 Hague Convention, potentially leading to legal repercussions.
Since late September, Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in conflict, with Israel shifting its focus from combating Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border, even as the situation in Gaza continues to escalate.
UNESCO's action came in response to a plea made on Sunday by hundreds of cultural professionals, including archaeologists and scholars, advocating for the activation of enhanced protection measures.
UNESCO
Mufti Hassan Khaled School in Lebanon
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