Israel bombs Lebanon’s ancient city of Tyre
Al Jazeera
Tyre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and home to important archaeological sites.
Israeli air raids pounded Tyre, an ancient coastal city in Lebanon which is renowned for its UNESCO World Heritage Site, leaving swaths of its centre in ruins.
Thick, black plumes of smoke were seen rising from several neighbourhoods on Wednesday after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order, claiming there were Hezbollah assets in the area without elaborating or providing evidence.
The buildings struck were between several heritage sites, including the hippodrome and a cluster of seaside sites associated with the ancient Phoenicians and the Crusaders.
The attacks caused “massive destruction and serious damage to homes, infrastructure, buildings, shops and cars,” according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA).
Bilal Kashmar of Tyre’s disaster management unit said seven buildings were completely levelled and more than 400 apartments in their vicinity were damaged.
