War Damages Lebanese Heritage
Lebanon Reports Widespread Damage to UNESCO and Historic Sites Amid Israeli Campaign
Key Points
A crown was blown off an ancient column at Tyre's UNESCO-listed site, illustrating precise damage to a cornerstone element of the coastal city’s heritage.
Some villages in southern Lebanon have been completely razed within the Israeli-occupied zone, according to Culture Minister Ghassan Salame.
A shrine of significance to both Muslims and Christians was destroyed in Nabatieh, signaling damage to religious heritage beyond antiquities.
Beaufort Castle lies inside the roughly 10-km occupation zone and remains inaccessible to Lebanese authorities; Lebanon says Israel’s claim that Hezbollah weapons were stored there is denied.
Lebanon's Culture Minister Ghassan Salame warned on June 28 that Israel's military campaign has damaged or destroyed heritage sites across southern Lebanon, including a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tyre where a Roman column was "decapitated" by a nearby strike on June 25, according to Reuters. Metal debris from the blast also hit ancient mosaics at the Al-Bass archaeological site, which has stood for roughly 5,000 years.
The destruction spans at least four months of fighting. Salame said the full scale of the damage remains unknown because Israeli forces still control a roughly 10-kilometer buffer zone along the border, blocking Lebanese officials from reaching dozens of sites, according to Modern Diplomacy.
Tyre, Nabatieh, and Beaufort Castle Hit Hard
At Tyre's UNESCO-listed site, a crown was blown off an ancient column, and site guard Adnan Istanbouli described the toll plainly: "The damage is massive... this is something that is 5,000 years old... what happened to it is huge," according to Associated Press. The site's director, Ali Badawi, called it the "worst impact" on Tyre's ruins since the war began.
In Nabatieh, Israeli strikes nearly leveled the city's Mamluk-era market — a regional trade hub hundreds of years old. A shrine sacred to both Muslims and Christians was also destroyed there, according to Newsmax. Clearing of rubble began on June 21. Beaufort Castle, a medieval fortress inside the 10-km zone, was captured by Israeli forces on May 31, with Israeli flags raised over its ruins, according to Middle East Online.
Entire Villages Razed Inside Israel's Buffer Zone
Salame said some villages inside the Israeli-held zone have been "completely razed," calling the destruction an attempt to erase collective memory. "To destroy and erase... to transform 60 villages in southern Lebanon into a tabula rasa, is certainly something that hurts," he said, according to Alethonews.
The scale of damage is staggering. A UNDP-backed count found 11,095 buildings completely destroyed and 17,891 housing units affected south of the Litani River. Direct damage to buildings alone is estimated at $1.38 billion. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced; roughly 523,000 have tried to return since the ceasefire framework was signed on June 26, according to Aaj TV.
Israel Says Military Need Drove the Strikes
Israel's military says it targets only military objectives and uses a "strict approval procedure" to limit damage to civilian and cultural sites. The IDF claims Hezbollah stored weapons and set up command centers inside sites like Beaufort Castle and the Chamaa Citadel, making them legitimate military targets under the laws of war, according to Newsmax.
Lebanon flatly denies those claims. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has accused Israel of a "scorched-earth policy" designed to stop displaced residents from returning home. Lebanon is now filing a report with the UN Human Rights Council alleging violations of international humanitarian law, according to Modern Diplomacy.
UNESCO Steps In as Legal Pressure Mounts
On April 1, UNESCO granted "enhanced protection" — the highest legal shield under the 1954 Hague Convention — to 39 Lebanese cultural properties. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said she was "deeply alarmed" by verified damage to sites including the Chamaa Citadel and areas near Beaufort Castle, according to Middle East Online.
Experts warn the consequences will last decades. South Lebanon's tourism economy faces long-term ruin. The destruction of markets, monasteries, mosques, and ancient ruins does more than erase history — it removes the physical reason for 1.2 million displaced people to go home, according to Alethonews.
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