Urgent Alert: UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tyre
The ICOMOS National Committee of Lebanon has issued an urgent alert in response to events of 27 May 2026 in the Tyre District, including the reported mass evacuation order affecting the district and subsequent strikes in areas. These events are placing the World Heritage property, its buffer zone, and sites under Enhanced Protection at direct risk.
The alert from ICOMOS Lebanon describes a broader and sustained pattern of damage to, and targeting of, cultural heritage sites in Lebanon, including properties protected under the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention.
It sets out the facts as collected by ICOMOS Lebanon, the applicable international legal framework, and specific requests for immediate action by UNESCO, the United Nations Security Council, and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, according to their respective mandates.
In view of the urgency and gravity of the situation, ICOMOS strongly urges UNESCO, the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court to take immediate actions towards the protection of the Ancient City of Tyre and other Lebanese cultural heritage sites currently under threat.
In addition, ICOMOS stands ready to support coordination with ICOMOS Lebanon, the Directorate General of Antiquities of Lebanon, UNESCO Beirut, and other relevant authorities as conditions permit.