Lebanese Ministry of Culture: Historic Shqif Castle was not destroyed by Israeli occupation bombings

Beirut, July 31 (KUNA) -- The Lebanese Ministry of Culture confirmed on Friday that the historic Al-Shaqif Castle was not destroyed by the massive explosions carried out by Israeli occupation forces in the area opposite the castle in the south of the country. In a statement, the General Directorate of Antiquities under the Ministry of Culture said that the tremors resulting from these explosions “may have caused damage in the vicinity of the castle,” noting that the final extent of the damage could only be determined through a field inspection of the site. It pointed out that the fact that the Al-Shaqif area is under Israeli occupation prevented specialized technical teams from being present at the site to conduct the necessary inspection and accurately assess the damage. The statement added that Al-Shaqif Castle was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger on July 24 during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, as part of the nomination file for the castles of Mount Lebanon, and that it has benefited from enhanced protection since 2024 under the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Earlier today, the Geophysics Center of the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research announced that it had recorded ground waves resulting from massive explosions carried out by Israeli occupation forces in the Al-Shaqif area, comparing them to earthquakes measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale. (End) F.Z. / T.M.A.