‘The aim is to erase our identity’: How south Lebanon’s cultural heritage is going up in smoke
Key takeaways
- The Israeli Army is accused of destroying important cultural and religious sites as part of its widespread demolition campaign in southern Lebanon.
- By: The FRANCE 24 Observers / Djamel BELAYACHI These satellite images show the Shamoun Al Safa sanctuary.
- The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) banned Lebanese civilians from entering this area encompassing 55 villages.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The Israeli Army is accused of destroying important cultural and religious sites as part of its widespread demolition campaign in southern Lebanon. The NGO Green Southerners has been documenting the destruction of churches, mosques and archaeological sites and denounces what they say is a calculated attack on the historic link between locals and their homeland.
By: The FRANCE 24 Observers / Djamel BELAYACHI These satellite images show the Shamoun Al Safa sanctuary. In the image at left, taken on April 11, 2026, the building is still standing – you can identify it from its distinctive white domes. In the image at right, taken April 17, the building is gone. © Legal agenda, Green southerners, OnGeo Intelligence. It’s been a month since Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire on April 19. During that time, the Israeli army has been working to establish what it calls a “forward defence zone” in southern Lebanon – an area that it says it wants to turn into a "buffer zone” to thwart future Hezbollah attacks.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) banned Lebanese civilians from entering this area encompassing 55 villages. And, in the meantime, the IDF has been carrying out widespread demolition – using bulldozers and dynamite to destroy buildings and sometimes even entire villages.