PARIS — The UN’s cultural agency on Friday placed locations including a Lebanese castle recently conquered by Israeli forces and an archaeological site in the West Bank on its list of World Heritage in Danger.

Beaufort Castle, a Crusader fortress also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, was captured by Israeli forces invading Lebanon in May as part of their war with the Hezbollah terror group.

It is one of five castles in the Jabal Amel area of southern Lebanon listed together by UNESCO. The mountainous area has come under repeated Israeli bombardment during the war.

UNESCO said the fortresses had sustained damage and faced ongoing threats from the conflict, “serious enough to justify resorting to an emergency procedure.”

Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame told AFP the endangered listing was “a remarkable achievement in the effort to protect these important Lebanese historical landmarks.”

He said only two of the castles were “within the Lebanese government’s reach” and accused Israel of having already destroyed Shamaa Castle and threatening to demolish Beaufort.

Also added to the in-danger list was Sebastia, near the West Bank city of Nablus, with UNESCO classifying it as located in Palestine.

The site is thought to be the ancient Jewish and later Roman city of Samaria, whose name Israel still uses to refer to the northern West........

© The Times of Israel