This photograph, taken in Marjayoun, southern Lebanon, shows Israeli flags flying over the medieval Beaufort Castle near the village of Arnoun, which was hit by an Israeli strike on June 3, 2026. (Photo: AFP)
BEIRUT — Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh on Friday sent a letter to UNESCO Director-General Khaled al-Enany, asking for "immediate and urgent intervention to activate all global mechanisms to prevent the destruction of Beaufort Castle."
This medieval site, perched in a highly strategic location on the heights of Nabatieh (southern Lebanon), was occupied by the Israeli army last Sunday. Multiple clashes have pitted Israelis and Hezbollah around these remnants of the Crusader era.
In his letter, Salameh mentions an "imminent and very serious threat to this site." "Silence or non-intervention in the face of such a threat would pave the way for further violations, the repercussions of which for cultural heritage protected by international law would be difficult to predict," he added. The minister even specifies the nature of the threat: "Israeli media have recently published reports, widely shared on social media, about the possibility of the destruction of this major cultural site, which leads us to fear that action may be taken very soon."
Lebanon "is very concerned about the risk of losing this historic and symbolic site, which encapsulates collective memory and represents heritage and human value worldwide," Salameh continued. He recalls that the destruction of heritage sites is a violation of the 1954 Hague Convention. This site has been under the authority of the Culture Ministry since 2000, following a previous Israeli withdrawal from the border area.
