Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Lebanon's eastern city of Baalbeck in the Bekaa valley, on September 25, 2024. (AFP)

UNESCO has granted "provisional enhanced protection" to dozens of heritage sites in Lebanon, providing them with stronger legal safeguards as the brutal Israeli aggression continues.

The 34 cultural properties now benefit from "the highest level of immunity against attack and use for military purposes," according to a statement released by the United Nations cultural body on Monday.

In recent weeks, Israeli airstrikes near Baalbek in the east and Tyre in the south have targeted areas close to ancient Roman ruins, which are recognized as World Heritage sites.

UNESCO stated that this decision "helps send a signal to the entire international community of the urgent need to protect these sites."

It further emphasized that "non-compliance with these clauses would constitute 'serious violations' of the 1954 Hague Convention and... potential grounds for prosecution."

UNESCO's decision came after an appeal on Sunday from hundreds of cultural professionals, including archaeologists and academics, urging the activation of enhanced protection.

Baalbek and Tyre "will receive technical and financial assistance from UNESCO to reinforce their legal protections, improve risk anticipation and management measures, and provide further training for site managers," the organization stated.

Experts urge UN to protect Lebanon's heritage amid Israeli aggression

Ahead of an important UNESCO meeting, hundreds of cultural experts, such as archaeologists and scholars, urged the United Nations to protect Lebanon's cultural heritage, which has been threatened by the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon, in a petition released on Sunday.

Multiple Israeli airstrikes in recent weeks have targeted Baalbek in the east and Tyre in the south, close to ancient Roman ruins, which are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Three hundred prominent cultural figures signed the petition before it was sent to UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay a day before a special session in Paris, which aims to list Lebanese cultural sites under "enhanced protection."

The petition called on UNESCO to safeguard Baalbek and other cultural sites by creating "no-target zones" around them, deploying international observers, and implementing protections outlined in the 1954 Hague Convention on cultural heritage during armed conflict.

It clearly stated that "Lebanon's cultural heritage at large is being endangered by recurrent assaults on ancient cities such as Baalbek, Tyre and Anjar, all UNESCO world heritage sites, as well as on other historic landmarks." The petition also urged powerful nations to advocate for a halt to attacks that harm cultural sites and to either implement additional protections or impose sanctions to prevent further destruction.

UNESCO says criminal prosecutions in line if protection not respected

According to Change Lebanon, the charity behind the petition, the signatories included museum curators, scholars, archaeologists, and writers from the UK, France, Italy, and the United States.

For its part, UNESCO announced granting enhanced protection status to heritage sites by providing them with "high-level immunity from military attacks," adding that "criminal prosecutions and sanctions, conducted by the competent authorities, may apply in cases where individuals do not respect the enhanced protection granted to a cultural property."

Earlier this month, Israeli raids targeted the city of Baalbek's Roman temples, according to authorities, destroying a heritage house dating back to the French mandate and damaging the historic site.

The region's governor reported that "a missile fell in the car park" of a 1,000-year-old temple, which was recorded as the closest strike since the start of the war.

After the Israeli aggression, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon at the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) stressed that these ancient Phoenician cities, rich in history, are at risk of being left in ruins, warning that Lebanon's cultural heritage must not become another victim of Israeli aggression on Lebanon.

The ruins are home to the renowned Baalbek Festival, an iconic event established in 1956 that has since become a key fixture on the global cultural calendar. The festival has featured legendary performances by artists such as Oum Kalthoum, Charles Aznavour, and Ella Fitzgerald.