2024 Tyre airstrikes

Between 23–25 October 2024, the Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes on the city of Tyre and several villages in the Tyre District in southern Lebanon. The airstrikes also struck near Roman, ancient Phoenician, and Crusader archaeological sites, causing significant concern from UNESCO for the potential damaging or destruction of cultural heritage.

Background

Tyre is a city in Lebanon, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, though in medieval times for some centuries by just a small population. It was one of the earliest Phoenician metropolises and the legendary birthplace of Europa, her brothers Cadmus and Phoenix, as well as Carthage's founder Dido (Elissa). The city has many ancient sites, including the Tyre Hippodrome, and was added as a whole to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984.

Airstrikes

The majority of Tyre's religiously diverse population of about 50,000 evacuated following the onset of Israeli bombardments, leaving about 14,500 residents left by 22 October 2024.

On 23 October 2024, Israel launched a large airstrike in the center of Tyre, resulting in large sections of the city being destroyed. The Lebanese National News Agency and residents of Tyre reported that the airstrike resulted in major earth-shaking explosions that caused massive plumes of black smoke to emanate from the site of the airstrike, located about 500 meters from the city's Roman-period archaeological ruins. At least one strike was reported to have struck within 50 meters of the ruins, and other strikes struck close to a coastal group of ancient Phoenician and Crusader ruins. The UNESCO World Heritage organization expressed concern over possible harm done to the site, with evaluators being unable to conduct a complete damage assessment due to the ongoing conflict.