On Sept. 23, 2024, smoke billows from the site of an Israeli air strike on the Lebanese town of Baalbeck, in the Bekaa Valley, behind the ancient Roman ruins and the six surviving columns of the Temple of Jupiter. (Credit: Nidal Solh/AFP)
Lebanon's caretaker Tourism Minister Walid Nassar on Wednesday called on “friendly countries and international organizations for the protection of world heritage not only to condemn the attacks on Lebanese historical sites listed as world heritage but to act immediately to stop the deadly Israeli attacks against Lebanon.” He accused Israel of “deliberately targeting Lebanese historical and tourist sites protected by international organizations.”
“The Israelis are not only enemies of humanity but also of civilization, heritage, and historical sites that tell Lebanon’s story,” Nassar stated. He said he is in continuous contact with global heritage and tourism organizations to inform them of the Israeli strikes and to catalog the damage for future actions.
World heritage sites, particularly in Sour and Baalbeck, face frequent threats from exceptionally violent Israeli raids on these two cities in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa. On Tuesday, one of the outer walls of Baalbeck’s temples collapsed due to the strikes.
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