UNESCO petitioned to save Lebanon's heritage sites from Israeli strikes

The six columns of the Temple of Jupiter in the ancient city of Baalbek, threatened by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, pictured on 17 July 2022. © Hassan Ammar / AP

Hundreds of cultural professionals – including archaeologists and academics – have called on the United Nations to safeguard Lebanon's heritage sites in a petition published ahead of a crucial UNESCO meeting in Paris.

Several Israeli strikes in recent weeks on Baalbek in the east of Lebanon and Tyre in the south – both strongholds of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah – hit close to ancient Roman ruins designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.