Lebanon's historic Baalbek city flattened by Israel's daily bombardment

Large parts of the city have been reduced to rubble in relentless attacks

Large parts of the city, along with villages and towns across the Bekaa Valley, have been reduced to rubble in Israeli attacks. Mohamad Zanaty for The National

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At first, it seemed like a quiet Tuesday morning in Lebanon's city of Baalbek, nestled in the Bekaa Valley and home to historic ruins.

But then a familiar thudding sound resumed and a plume of smoke rose in the nearby town of Boudai. Israel had once again begun its daily bombardment of the region.

“This is one of the areas that has been bombed the most,” a Hezbollah intelligence official told a team from The National that was visiting Baalbek. But Boudai is not an exception – it is just one of many areas of the wider Bekaa Valley that has been almost fully emptied.

A lot has changed in a few weeks in Baalbek. Large parts of the city, along with villages and towns across the Bekaa Valley, have been reduced to rubble in Israeli attacks against what it says are Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure. The Lebanese armed group and political party did emerge from the region in the 1980s, and the Bekaa area remains an important weapon smuggling route.

But residents say the sites struck have been homes, restaurants, businesses, and civilians. When cross-border violence broke out between Israel and Hezbollah more than a year ago, the Bekaa Valley had somewhat been spared. Now Israel has firmly turned its sights on the area, unleashing a torrent of missiles.

Baalbek is regarded as one of the largest and best-preserved examples of ancient Roman architecture. All photos: Unesco

Much of Baalbek has been emptied, with most people fleeing after Israel issued eviction warnings for the entire city. Hundreds have been killed, while Israel has also bombed residences across Lebanon that housed the displaced from the area. There are still hints of life, however.

One of the dozens of air strikes destroyed the home of Hassan Noureddine two weeks ago, killing five. Digging through the rubble, he has stayed, preferring to sleep outside next to the bombed-out area.

“We could rebuild everything, it’s OK, it’s only rocks, but the victims will never come back,” he said.

The road to Baalbek running north from Zahle is an ominous one. While Zahle still is busy, the motorway quickly empties as you get closer to Baalbek, with flattened buildings near the road.

The famed ruins, which date back to the Roman period, have been spared but barely. The gates of one of Lebanon's most famous tourist attractions and host of the Baalbek International Festival cultural event are now closed, with only a handful of caretakers around to take care of the site.

Last week, an Israeli air strike destroyed an Ottoman-era building on the edge of the temple complex. On the other side of the road the Palmyra Hotel, which once hosted Charles de Gaulle, has closed its doors for the first time in 150 years because of the damage.

Israeli air strikes were so intense, it was initially impossible for officials to verify how severe the attacks were.

Further down the road is a green park, with benches and rivers running around it. One resident said it evoked childhood memories, with many stealing a moment of peace to sit here. Now, the park is surrounded by residential buildings that bore the brunt of some of the worst damage in recent attacks.

At the centre of the park is a restaurant. When The National visited during Ramadan last year, it was a bustling business with families breaking their fasts, gorging on platters of food, drinking juice and smoking shisha.

Now the restaurant is empty, its roof destroyed and its foundations barely holding out with the neighbouring buildings reduced to rubble – like much of Baalbek.

Nada Atallah contributed to this report