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BREAKING
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Experts urge UN to protect Lebanon's heritage amid Israeli aggression

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 17 Nov 2024 16:06
3 Min Read

Cultural experts are sounding the alarm over the protection of Lebanon's heritage sites, which are at risk of being targeted amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on the country.

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  • The Roman ruins of Baalbek, one of the best preserved in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site, is seen completely empty of visitors, in the Bekaa valley in Baalbek, Lebanon, on April 1, 2021. (AP)
    The Roman ruins of Baalbek, one of the best preserved in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site, seen in the Bekaa valley in Baalbek, Lebanon, on April 1, 2021. (AP)

Ahead of an important UNESCO meeting, hundreds of cultural experts, such as archaeologists and scholars, urged the United Nations to protect Lebanon's cultural heritage, which has been threatened by the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon, in a petition released on Sunday.

Multiple Israeli airstrikes in recent weeks have targeted Baalbek in the east and Tyre in the south, close to ancient Roman ruins, which are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Three hundred prominent cultural figures signed the petition before it was sent to UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay a day before a special session in Paris, which aims to list Lebanese cultural sites under "enhanced protection." 

The petition calls on UNESCO to safeguard Baalbek and other cultural sites by creating "no-target zones" around them, deploying international observers, and implementing protections outlined in the 1954 Hague Convention on cultural heritage during armed conflict.

It clearly states that "Lebanon's cultural heritage at large is being endangered by recurrent assaults on ancient cities such as Baalbek, Tyre and Anjar, all UNESCO world heritage sites, as well as on other historic landmarks." The petition also urges powerful nations to advocate for a halt to attacks that harm cultural sites and to either implement additional protections or impose sanctions to prevent further destruction.

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According to Change Lebanon, the charity behind the petition, the signatories included museum curators, scholars, archaeologists, and writers from the UK, France, Italy, and the United States.

For its part, UNESCO announced granting enhanced protection status to heritage sites by providing them with "high-level immunity from military attacks," adding that "Criminal prosecutions and sanctions, conducted by the competent authorities, may apply in cases where individuals do not respect the enhanced protection granted to a cultural property."

Earlier this month, Israeli raids targeted the city of Baalbek's Roman temples, according to authorities, destroying a heritage house dating back to the French mandate and damaging the historic site. 

The region's governor reported that "a missile fell in the car park" of a 1,000-year-old temple, which was recorded as the closest strike since the start of the war.

After the Israeli aggression, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon at the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) stressed that these ancient Phoenician cities, rich in history, are at risk of being left in ruins, warning that Lebanon's cultural heritage must not become another victim of Israeli aggression on Lebanon.

The ruins are home to the renowned Baalbek Festival, an iconic event established in 1956 that has since become a key fixture on the global cultural calendar. The festival has featured legendary performances by artists such as Oum Kalthoum, Charles Aznavour, and Ella Fitzgerald.

  • Baalbek
  • Israeli aggression on Lebanon
  • United Nations
  • War on Lebanon
  • Tyre
  • Lebanon
  • UNESCO
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

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