Lebanon condemns repeated Israeli attacks on historic landmarks

Lebanon’s Culture Ministry has strongly denounced repeated Israeli attacks on historic sites and landmarks across the Arab country, including the ancient city of Tyre.

In a statement released on Monday, the ministry confirmed that recent Israeli airstrikes caused significant damage to archaeological remains and administrative facilities at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tyre.

“The ancient city of Tyre, which carries more than five thousand years of human history, is an essential part of the world’s cultural heritage, with exceptional historical, cultural, and symbolic value for all of humanity. Protecting this site is not Lebanon’s responsibility alone, but a collective duty imposed by international law and international conventions on the protection of cultural heritage,” the statement read.

The Israeli strikes hit a historic building, electricity generators near the main entrance, offices of the Directorate General of Antiquities, and the south-eastern section of the archaeological area.

Ancient columns, capitals, and other archaeological features near the impact zones were also damaged.

The ministry revealed that an Israeli strike on June 7 targeted the entrance to the archaeological property known as the “City Site.”

It noted that these attacks are part of a systematic series of assaults on the site and its surroundings since 2024, which intensified after May 2026 following Israeli forced displacement orders against the city of Tyre and heavy airstrikes on nearby neighborhoods.

Tyre, located on Lebanon’s southern coast, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Iran’s strikes on Zionist entity in defense of Lebanon and the recalibration of regional deterrence

Iran’s missile strikes on occupied territories shattered the enemy’s assumption of a sub-threshold response, proving that any future aggression against Lebanon will be met with decisive, swift, and direct military action, and that Iran’s condition for ending the war remains the complete cessation of aggression on its allies.

The statement comes amid the Israeli regime’s ongoing aggression against southern Lebanon, where it has repeatedly bombed historic landmarks, including the medieval hilltop fortress of Beaufort Castle.

Lebanese authorities warned that continued Zionist attacks could lead to the irreversible loss of landmarks representing more than 5,000 years of human civilization.

In response to the escalating aggression, the Hezbollah resistance movement has affirmed its determination to continue defending Lebanon against the Israeli occupation, despite joint US-Israeli pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm the resistance.

The latest round of Israeli attacks on Lebanon has killed thousands of civilians and displaced nearly two million people in the country.

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