Following the Israeli bombardment. UNESCO inscribes 'Ancient Tyre' on World Heritage List
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday (July 22nd) inscribed the ancient Lebanese city of Tyre on its list of World Heritage sites in danger. The decision was taken during the 48th session of its World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, after months of Israeli shelling and military operations that affected areas of southern Lebanon and damaged infrastructure and archaeological sites.
The organization explained in an official statement that the listing request was based on an official submission from the Lebanese government as a result of the decline in optimal conditions to preserve the exceptional global value of the site.
Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh welcomed the organization's decision, stressing that this step will contribute to focusing the attention and concern of UNESCO and Member States on a site of great importance in the history of the region.
A culture ministry official said a direct strike hit an administrative office inside a World Heritage site last June, causing rubble to fly and material damage to archaeological components. Salameh accused Israeli authorities of failing to respect the 1954 Hague Convention and ignoring "blue shield" signs to protect cultural sites during armed conflicts.
Local sources said that the city of Tyre witnessed the displacement of tens of thousands of its residents following the bombardment, which caused destruction in buildings and waterfronts and issued evacuation orders for historical evidence dating back to the Phoenician, Roman and Byzantine civilizations.
UNESCO indicated that the decision aims to strengthen international protection mechanisms, mobilize the necessary technical and financial support to inspect the damages and provide emergency funding for the restoration of historical monuments, while continuing coordination with the Lebanese authorities to inventory the damage to Roman columns and archaeological buildings.
U.S. Intelligence Mechanism and Distribution of Field Missions
Private Lebanese political sources revealed the readiness of the United States of America to provide the Lebanese army with intelligence information and precise coordinates related to the locations of weapons depots, tunnels and military installations belonging to "Hezbollah", in preparation for the entry of Lebanese units into them and the dismantling of their contents.
The sources confirmed that this field mechanism will start from "pilot areas" in southern Lebanon before gradually expanding it to the rest of the regions.
The following political sources explained that the US army is in charge of collecting investigations, intelligence information, and aerial photographs and handing them over directly to the Lebanese Army Command.
The Lebanese units carried out inspections, field raids and the withdrawal of weapons, in addition to providing documents and assurances that the sites and tunnels were free of any parallel military structure, taking advantage of the model applied in Syrian territory to make the Lebanese army the sole executive authority on the ground.
The sources confirmed that the field mechanism is not limited to raising the flag and formal deployment, but goes beyond it to ensure the full inspection of buildings and tunnels and the confiscation of the military arsenal, in implementation of the terms of the US agreement, which stipulated the imposition of full security control of the Lebanese army and the confirmation that the areas from which the Israeli army is withdrawing are free of the party's weapons.
Regional coordination and field deployment tests
Political sources linked the field plan to US President Donald Trump's statements during his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, in which he praised the Syrian measures in controlling the situation.
The US administration is reportedly considering engaging Syrian authorities to cut off cross-border arms and funding smuggling routes, putting the party in front of a dual blockade of external supply routes and internal warehouses.
According to official reports, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun requested additional military and political support during his visit to Washington, while the US administration expressed its readiness to organize an international conference to finance the Lebanese military establishment, pledging to link funding and armament to the army's ability to carry out clear tasks that include controlling borders, preventing the reconstruction of warehouses, and extending state sovereignty.
Sources on the ground confirmed that the Lebanese army has begun to deploy in the western town of Zoutar, in conjunction with continuous operations in the areas of Faroun and Sarifa following the partial Israeli withdrawal.
The sources indicated that the real test of the military institution will begin as soon as the coordinates and intelligence information of the undeclared tunnels and warehouses are received, as the leadership must take decisions to enter and confiscate immediately, and transfer the weapons file to a practical stage that prohibits the parallel military presence and imposes the exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the state.