The Menshieh heritage building in Baalbeck, near the citadel. (Credit: NNA)
Caretaker Culture Minister Mohammed Mortada has instructed Antiquities Director General Sarkis Khoury to prepare a detailed report on the destruction by an Israeli strike of the heritage building known as Menshieh, located near the Baalbeck citadel, with the aim of filing an urgent complaint with the relevant international authorities against Israel.
The Menshieh building, made of stone, was built during the first half of the 19th century, but the precise date of its construction is not known.
"Sarkis Khoury and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Hani Shmaytelli, will coordinate the filing of an urgent complaint with the competent international authorities in order to hold the Israeli entity accountable for its actions that affect people, stone, heritage and archaeological monuments," the Culture Ministry statement stressed, considering that the Israeli actions "constitute war crimes" for which the Hebrew state "must be held responsible in accordance with the provisions of international law."
More than 100 Lebanese MPs also called on UNESCO to protect the country's historical sites. "During the devastating war against Lebanon, Israel committed serious human rights violations and atrocities," the MPs wrote in a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. "We draw your attention to an urgent need: the protection of Lebanon's history, in Baalbeck, Sour, Saida and other priceless sites currently under threat," they stressed.
Violent Israeli strikes have been raining down on Baalbeck and its surroundings for several weeks. They have left dozens dead and also raised fears of destruction or damage to the city's heritage.