BEIRUT, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants announced on Thursday that the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to UNESCO is continuing its efforts to protect Lebanon's cultural and historical archaeological sites amid the Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
The mission has called for an emergency meeting of a committee dedicated to heritage protection while also requesting a special statement from UNESCO urging all relevant parties to take action to safeguard archaeological, cultural, historical, and natural sites.
The mission's initiative comes as Israeli forces warned the Lebanese citizens of Baalbek to evacuate the entire city a day earlier, creating concerns about a possible Israeli attack on the Baalbek temple, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since the beginning of the extensive Israeli attacks on Lebanon on September 23, Baalbek has been targeted multiple times by Israeli warplanes.
In cooperation with Lebanese diplomatic missions, the ministry said it will continue its efforts to urge the international community to work with Lebanon to protect archaeological sites. ■
