{
  "id": 1953446,
  "title": "Lebanese officials highlight cultural sites at risk from Israeli attacks in meetings with Unesco chief",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/lebanese-officials-highlight-cultural-sites-at-risk-from-israeli",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T14:22:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/19/lebanese-officials-highlight-cultural-sites-at-risk-from-israeli-attacks-in-meetings-with-unesco-chief/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a meeting with UNESCO Director General Khaled El Enany, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun highlighted the precarious state of the country's most iconic cultural sites amid Israel's ongoing conflict. Recently, UNESCO added five castles in southern Lebanon to its List of World Heritage in Danger on an emergency basis. Tyre, an ancient city and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, was also added to the list earlier this year due to repeated attacks by Israel.\n\nPresident Aoun emphasized the significance of the solidarity shown by UNESCO, stating that it demonstrated \"a growing international awareness of the seriousness of the threat to Lebanese cultural heritage.\" The five castles—Beaufort, Shamaa, Chaqra, Deir Kifa, and Tebine—represent centuries of history and are an integral part of humanity's heritage. Beaufort, a famous crusader castle, is currently occupied by Israel and poses a particular risk, as evidenced by the intense explosions that measured 3.8 on the Richter scale after Israel's demolition activities earlier this month.\n\nUNESCO's role now shifts from emergency response to recovery and renewed confidence in Lebanon's future. The organization remains deeply committed to the preservation of these sites and to supporting efforts aimed at protecting, restoring, ensuring their continuity, and transmitting them to future generations. Culture Minister Ghassan Salame expressed gratitude to UNESCO for its support, while also thanking the organization for its efforts in safeguarding Lebanon's historical and cultural heritage.\n\nLebanon's government has submitted documents to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva detailing Israeli attacks on the country's historical and cultural heritage, which allegedly violate international humanitarian law.",
  "summary": "Unesco Director General Khaled El Enany visited Beirut on Wednesday where he met President Joseph Aoun and was shown the precarious state of some of the country's most famous cultural sites amid Israel's continuing war and occupation. Last month, Unesco added five castles in southern Lebanon to its List of World Heritage in Danger, on an emergency basis. The southern city of Tyre , one of the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Lebanese officials highlight cultural sites at risk from Israeli attacks in meetings with Unesco chief",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/lebanese-officials-highlight-cultural-sites-at-risk-from-israeli-1954439",
        "published": "2026-08-19T14:22:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}