Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon devastates centuries of history

From Phoenician temples to Crusader castles, heritage sites bear the brunt of Israel’s expanding military offensive.Lebanon’s landscape is layered with thousands of years of history, but many of its most treasured archaeological and cultural sites now lie in the path of Israel’s expanding military offensive.Despite a so-called ceasefire, on Saturday, Israeli forces captured Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old fortress located on a rocky hilltop near the city of Nabatieh, one of the largest cities in southern Lebanon.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israel kills 8 in attacks on Lebanon after Trump announces de-escalationlist 2 of 4Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue after Trump saying they’d stoplist 3 of 4Scene of damaged hospital after Israeli strike in southern Lebanonlist 4 of 4Lebanon hopes crunch talks in Washington will halt an Israeli invasionend of listThe capture followed days of fierce fighting and forms part of Israel’s deepest military incursion into Lebanon in 26 years. Israeli troops have crossed north of the Litani River and advanced towards the Zahrani River.Lebanon’s World Heritage SitesLebanon currently has six UNESCO World Heritage Sites.UNESCO World Heritage Sites are landmarks or areas judged to have exceptional cultural or natural importance to humanity and are designated for international protection and preservation.Lebanon’s Culture Minister Ghassan Salame told the AFP news agency that Israeli attacks on the country’s south are putting heritage sites, including in the ancient city of Tyre, in “serious danger”.Tyre, located some 83km (52 miles) south of Beirut, contains the remains of one of the most important cities of the ancient Phoenician world, including extensive Roman-era ruins and one of the largest hippodromes of the Roman Empire.Israeli forced displacement orders and bombardments have pushed tens of thousands of people to flee Tyre, with some estimates putting displacement from the city and surrounding area at about 200,000. Across Lebanon, the wider war has uprooted more than one million people.A plume of smoke rises following an Israeli attack on the outskirts of Tyre, southern Lebanon, on June 1, 2026 [AFP]Dated to the third millennium BC, Tyre grew into one of the Mediterranean’s leading maritime powers. After Alexander the Great’s siege in 332 BC linked the island city to the mainland, Tyre flourished under Greek, Roman and Byzantine rule before gradually declining in the centuries after the Crusades.A UNESCO delegation in front of the ancient ruins of the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre [Jihad Seklawi/AFP]“Bombings fell very close to the ruins of Tyre,” Minister Salame said, adding that the medieval Beaufort Castle overlooking Nabatieh was “directly hit”.[Courtesy of Wikipedia]UNESCO enhanced protectionLebanon is home to at least 39 cultural sites that have been granted provisional enhanced protection. Several of them are in the south, in areas affected by the ongoing Israeli military operations.