The United Nations is preparing to designate several cultural and natural sites across the Middle East as being in danger, citing threats from ongoing conflict and climate change.
The list includes a Biblical site in the West Bank, historic castles in Lebanon, an antelope migration path, and the world's deepest lake.
This classification signals a significant escalation in the international community's concern for the preservation of these landmarks.
The decision comes as the region faces compounded pressures from military activity and environmental degradation.
The inclusion of the West Bank site underscores the vulnerability of heritage locations in active conflict zones, while the Lebanese castles highlight the fragility of historical infrastructure in areas with limited resources for maintenance and protection.
The antelope migration path and the deep lake point to broader ecological concerns that transcend immediate geopolitical tensions.