Jupiter temple in Baalbeck. (Credit: OLJ)
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry announced Thursday in a statement that the Lebanese delegation to UNESCO has been making contacts to protect Lebanese historic sites, which have been exposed to Israeli bombings for several days.
"The Lebanese delegation is continuing its efforts with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and the head of the World Heritage Center, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, to strengthen the protection of historical, cultural, and archaeological sites, under international agreements," the statement said.
The statement clarified that these efforts, initiated under the directives of the Foreign Ministry and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, are in response to Israeli threats to bomb the Roman temples of Baalbek, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on Wednesday.
The delegation is working to "secure an urgent meeting of the World Heritage Committee and to issue a statement from UNESCO, urging all involved parties to spare Lebanon's archaeological, cultural, historical, and natural sites," the statement continued.
Beyond Baalbek, numerous sites in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, particularly in Sour, are threatened or have already been struck by Israeli missiles since the escalation on Sept. 23. A 400-year-old souk in Nabatieh was destroyed, and thousands of hectares of green spaces have been scorched since the beginning of the war in Oct. 2023.
