Unesco has stepped in to protect heritage in Lebanon by placing 34 historic sites on its enhanced protection list. The move follows Israeli airstrikes on the country, which have intensified in recent days.
The safeguarding decision was taken after an “extraordinary session” of the committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which took place in Paris on 18 November, according to a Unesco statement.
"Unesco has a deep and long-standing cooperation with Lebanon. We will spare no effort to provide all the expertise and assistance needed to protect its exceptional heritage", says Audrey Azoulay, the director-general of Unesco, in a statement.
The World Heritage Sites of Baalbek and Tyre—two of six Lebanese sites found on Unesco’s World Heritage list—are among the 34 areas placed on Unesco’s International List of Cultural Property under enhanced protection. Other safeguarded “cultural properties” include the Majdel Anjar Temple, a huge Roman temple built around 41AD and located in West Bekaa, along with the Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum in Beirut, which remains closed, and the National Museum of Beirut.
According to the Lebanese culture minister, Mohammad Mortada, Israeli air strikes in eastern Lebanon seriously damaged an Ottoman-era building earlier this month. The building is close to the Roman ruins in the city of Baalbek, home to some of the world’s greatest examples of Imperial Roman architecture.
Since the outbreak of hostilities, Unesco says it has been in close contact with site managers, cultural professionals and national authorities in Lebanon. “The organisation has offered its support in identifying emergency measures, inventorying museum collections, and moving works that can be moved to safe locations elsewhere in Lebanon,” says a statement.
Earlier this week, the non-governmental organisation Change Lebanon urged Unesco to protect the country’s heritage. An open petition stated: “Criminal prosecutions and sanctions, conducted by the competent authorities, may apply in cases where individuals do not respect the enhanced protection granted to a cultural property.”
The 34 cultural properties listed benefit from the highest level of immunity against attack, confirms Unesco. “Non-compliance with these clauses would constitute ‘serious violations’ of the 1954 Hague Convention and would constitute potential grounds for prosecution,” a statement says.
The Israeli military says it has hit at least 1,600 Hezbollah targets since September 2024 in an operation to destroy infrastructure built up by the armed group, which is considered a terrorist organisation by the UK. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health says Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 7 October 2023 have killed at least 2,083 people.