Israeli warplanes carried out more than 20 raids targeting the ancient city of Baalbeck within a period of half an hour on Monday afternoon, coinciding with Naim Qassem’s first address as Hezbollah’s new secretary general, succeeding the group’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Ahead of the raids, an evacuation order issued by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, to the residents of Baalbeck in east Lebanon, triggered a mass exodus of the population amid fears for the safety of the city’s UNESCO-listed Roman temples.
Adraee said in an “urgent warning” addressed to the residents of Baalbeck, Ain Borzai and Duros, that the Israeli army will target Hezbollah’s interests in the city and the nearby villages.
“For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move outside the city and villages through the following axes: Zahle-Baalbek Highway, Nahleh-Baalbek Road, Cedars-Baalbek Road. Being near Hezbollah members, its facilities, or its combat means may expose you to danger,” the message read.
A wave of panic cut through the population who fled en masse, causing monstrous traffic jam, as they sought to leave the city to neighboring areas as quickly as possible.
Deir al-Ahmar and several other localities further north in the Bekaa had already received a large number of families seeking shelter.
Many of the fleeing residents headed instead to the district of Bcharre, via the Aïnata al-Arz road.
The ominous map associated, as always, with Adraee's warning on his X account shows, in red, that the entire ancient city is under the threat of the Israeli war machine.
Baalbeck's archaeological, architectural and cultural heritage, although under international protection, is in great danger, as its sites are by no means safe from Israeli army strikes.
Caretaker Minister of Culture, Mohammad Mortada, who was appointed to the Mikati government by Hezbollah, does not seem to be overly concerned by this danger. He has removed the protective UNESCO blue shield from Baalbeck and other ancient sites more than a year ago, without even thinking to reinstate them to protect the national heritage.
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