What remains of the surrounding wall in Baalbeck, destroyed by Israeli bombardment, on Oct. 28. (Credit: Photo provided by members of the General Directorate of Antiquities)
Israeli bombardment on Monday destroyed two juxtaposed walls in the historic town of Baalbeck, one dating back to the French Mandate and known as Gouraud, after General Henri Gouraud, and the other from the Ottoman era, a source briefed by witnesses on site told our publication. The strikes on Baalbeck have recently escalated, killing six people in this area alone.
Hezbollah maintains a strong presence in the northern Bekaa, particularly in Baalbeck, near the Anti-Lebanon mountains in northeast Lebanon. On Monday, Israeli airstrikes across the Baalbeck-Hermel and Bekaa districts killed 60 people and wounded 58 others, excluding southern Lebanon, per a preliminary Health Ministry report. “These walls at Baalbeck’s northern entrance, used as barracks during both the French Mandate and Ottoman eras, were destroyed over more than 30 meters,” the source lamented.
This marks the first time since the attrition war began in Lebanon on Oct. 8, that Israeli strikes have reached so close to Baalbeck’s ancient citadel. This UNESCO World Heritage site, home to one of the best-preserved Roman temples, has been protected since 1984. “Previous strikes were 700 meters away from the ancient site. Yesterday, however, they reached the so-called Gouraud perimeter but did not hit the citadel,” the source added.
Attempts to reach Sarkis al-Khoury, head of the General Directorate of Antiquities, for comment were unsuccessful.