Hundreds of cultural experts urge UNESCO to protect Lebanon's heritage from Israeli raids

Three hundred prominent cultural figures, including archaeologists and artists, called Sunday on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to safeguard Lebanon’s heritage, especially in Baalbek, from the Israeli Occupation’s air strikes.

This came in a petition filed a day before a special session in Paris to consider listing Lebanese cultural sites under “enhanced protection”. Enhanced protection status gives heritage sites “high-level immunity from military attacks,” according to UNESCO.

Lebanon has six sites listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, including Roman ruins in the cities of Baalbek and Tyre which, in recent weeks, have been subjected to heavy Israeli raids that caused damages to their surroundings.

Baalbek Governor, Bashir Khodr, had confirmed that the Israeli raid “took place about 500 to 700 metres from the citadel”.

The petitioners urged UNESCO to protect Baalbek and other heritage sites by establishing “no-target zones” around them, deploying international observers, and enforcing measures from the 1954 Hague Convention on cultural heritage in conflict.

“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 other historic landmarks,” the petition sent to UNESCO chief, Audrey Azoulay, said.

“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,” it said.

The letter called on “all parties involved in the conflict in the Middle East, whether states, non-governmental forces or international organisations (…)” to “take action to save the city of Baalbek and its archaeological complex, which is an integral part of the world’s heritage.”

Change Lebanon, the non-governmental organisation behind the initiative, said it had mobilised museum curators, heritage specialists, researchers, archaeologists, writers and artists from France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States to join the petition.

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