Icomos Lebanon, Unesco, and the Lebanese Ministry of Culture have issued urgent warnings after Israeli strikes damaged the ancient city of Tyre, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and Israeli forces captured Beaufort Castle, a 12th-century Crusader fortress. The strikes hit Tyre's entrance precinct, administrative buildings, and archaeological warehouses, while Beaufort Castle—captured by Israel on 31 May—has become a flashpoint, with the IDF claiming Hezbollah used it to launch missiles and Lebanese authorities disputing that assertion. Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh formally requested Unesco's intervention to prevent the castle's destruction, and both sites are under Enhanced Protection under the 1954 Hague Convention.
This matters because the attacks on heritage sites with Enhanced Protection status represent a serious violation of international law, potentially setting a dangerous precedent for the treatment of cultural property in conflict zones. Beaufort Castle, which has been a symbol of Lebanon's long-running conflict and was recently restored for public access, now faces imminent destruction, while Tyre's damage threatens one of the world's most significant archaeological sites. The incident underscores the vulnerability of cultural heritage in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and tests the effectiveness of international protections like the Hague Convention's Second Protocol.