Israel archaeologist killed in southern Lebanon, along with soldier, planned to falsify history: Official

Lebanon, on Friday, condemned the Israeli army for storming archaeological sites in southern Lebanon, along with Israeli archaeologist, Zeev Erlich, who was killed along with a soldier the day before, to falsify history and manipulate facts, Anadolu Agency reports.

On Thursday, the Israeli public broadcaster, KAN, said archaeologist Erlich, 71, was killed along with an Israeli soldier, in clashes with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Culture Minister, Mohammad Al-Murtada, said in a statement that the storming of the Israeli forces escorting Erlich is a grave violation of a UNESCO resolution aimed at protecting the country’s historical and cultural sites from Israeli attacks.

On Monday, UNESCO announced that it was placing 34 cultural sites in Lebanon threatened by Israeli bombardments under “provisional reinforced protection” and providing emergency financial assistance to protect the country’s heritage from Israeli bombardment.

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Al-Murtada said Erlich entered Shama town in southern Lebanon, armed and escorted by Israeli forces, to examine the shrine of Prophet Shamoun and falsely claim that it is “Israeli heritage”.

He stressed that Erlich’s raid on the site “confirms once again the aggressive expansionist nature of the (Israeli) entity (…) through occupying Lebanon’s land, history and heritage.”

“The alleged Israeli history in our land is nothing more than a myth that has no connection to actual historical truth,” the Minister said.

According to Israeli media, Erlich is a well-known settler who was living in a settlement in the Occupied West Bank.

Israeli daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, said the Israeli archaeologist was on a mission to inspect an ancient fortress in southern Lebanon.

Israel has engaged in cross-border warfare with Lebanon, launching an air campaign in late September against what it claims are Hezbollah targets.

Nearly 3,600 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon, with more than 5,000 injured and over 1 million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on 1 October.

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