Israeli forces blow up historic Shrine of Shimon in southern Lebanon

Israeli forces destroyed a religious shrine in the village of Shama in southern Lebanon on Friday, garnering widespread condemnation.

The area is revered among  Shia and Christian populations, as Christian worshippers believe a Christian saint is buried there and Shia believers have constructed various sites to honour Imam Mahdi.

According to Arabic news site Arabi21, Lebanese sources said that Israeli forces directly targeted the Shrine of Shimon, also known as the Shrine of Saint Peter, with explosives after invading the village.

Video footage captured by the Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar and verified by CNN showed plumes of smoke rising from the complex where the shrine is.

Other reports stated a historic castle built around 908 years ago, and multiple homes were blown up in the Israeli attacks.

Online, many social media users as well as heritage organisation slammed Israel’s attacks on historic sites.

The village of Shama is considered to be a strategic location because it overlooks the city of Tyre and is located around 5.7km from the border.

"Simon, by the way, is one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. He is also the cousin of the Virgin Mary. Today the Zionists are destroying it," one social media user wrote.

"Akhbar correspondent says that the Israeli enemy threw smoke bombs towards Shama to cover up their soldiers withdrawing after they were targeted by the resistance, but they failed and are still being besieged in the shrine of Prophet Shimon while being exposed to gunfire from all sides," another wrote.

Lebanon’s National News Agency later said that Israeli forces withdrew from the hill where the shrine is located due to intense resistance from Hezbollah fighters.

During the Israeli attacks, a nearby UN peacekeeping site was also targeted with artillery shelling, the official news agency added.

The UN peacekeeping force said that a live 155mm artillery shell hit its headquarters but failed to explode and that Italian peacekeepers stationed there later successfully detonated the shell.

Various reports in Lebanese media said the attack on the shrine was the deepest point Israeli ground forces had reached since Israeli ramped up attacks on Lebanon in mid-September.

Israeli forces did not immediately issue a statement on the attack on the shrine, however said their troops are carrying out “limited, localised” operations in southern Lebanon.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 3,452 people and wounded 14,664 others since 7 October 2023. The attacks on the Lebanon have forcibly displaced over 1.2 million people, levelled entire neighbourhoods and worsened conditions in a country already grappling with multiple crises.