Lebanon: The historic Shqif Castle was not destroyed by Israeli occupation bombings

The Lebanese Ministry of Culture confirmed on Friday that the historic Shqif Castle had not been 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,” adding that the full extent of the damage could only be determined through an on-site inspection of the site.

It noted that the occupation of the Shqif area by Israeli forces prevented specialized technical teams from being present at the site to conduct the necessary inspection and accurately assess the damage.

The statement recalled that Shqif 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 Jabal Amel. It also noted that the castle has benefited from enhanced protection since 2024, under the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Earlier on Friday, the Geophysics Center of the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research announced that it had recorded seismic waves caused by massive explosions carried out by Israeli occupation forces in the Shqif area, comparing them to earthquakes measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale.