Israeli airstrikes hit Baalbek, home to UNESCO World Heritage Site

Israeli airstrikes pounded the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s state-run news agency, hours after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for residents in the entire city. 

The city’s ancient Roman temple complex, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was included in the evacuation warning as well as Baalbek’s surrounding area and key routes to Lebanon’s Bekaa valley. 

Residents evacuated en-masse with local media footage showing heavy traffic along Lebanese roads exiting the city. 

Footage circulated online showed the onset of airstrikes on Baalbek, with the sound of intense explosions and the cries of children and families who remained in the area. 

In a post on his social media, local governor Bachir Khodr urged residents to avoid seeking refuge within the city’s Roman temples. Instead, he advised them to head to one of two destinations: Arsal, a town in the Baalbek province about 30km from the city or to the North Governorate. 

Israel claimed to be targeting fuel depots to halt the movement of weapons and artillery from Iran, but did not provide evidence of this activity. 

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Israel has a responsibility to protect civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage sites.

In the region’s deadliest day in a year, more than 60 people were killed in several towns surrounding Baalbek after multiple, overnight Israeli airstrikes into Tuesday.

The army said they were targeting fuel depots to halt the movement of weapons and artillery from Iran, without providing evidence of such activity. 

 The Lebanese health ministry report more than 2,790 people have been killed and 12,700 wounded in Lebanon since 8 October 2023 – when Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel. 

The conflict escalated sharply last month when Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon. Around 1.2 million Lebanese people have been displaced by the conflict, according to government estimates.