Tyre, Lebanon — The ancient city of Tyre, situated approximately 50 miles south of Beirut, has endured extensive damage amid the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel that erupted in early March 2026. The hostilities followed U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets earlier that year and have since imposed a heavy toll on the city’s infrastructure and residents.

For over two months, Tyre has been caught in a cycle of airstrikes, intermittent cease-fires, and widespread disruption. Basic services such as water and electricity have been frequently cut, forcing many residents to sleep outdoors, believing the open air offered greater safety than their damaged homes. Though the city’s Christian quarter had largely escaped prior conflicts, this area saw significant fighting during the latest escalation.

The violence in and around Tyre forms part of a broader conflict in southern Lebanon that has killed more than 4,380 people and displaced over one million across the country. Israel has occupied large sections of Lebanon’s south, demolishing entire villages and neighborhoods, with the stated aim of dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities and halting attacks on Israeli border communities.

In July, UNESCO added several archaeological sites in Tyre to its list of World Heritage sites in danger, underscoring the cultural as well as human costs of the conflict.

Local residents have experienced profound losses. Rida Hijazi al-Dahab, a business owner, recounted the destruction of his family’s coffee shop during Israeli airstrikes that took place just minutes before a cease-fire was due to begin. The bombing reduced the residential block housing his shop to rubble. Mr. al-Dahab said he was inside the café when the explosion threw him against a wall, rendering him unconscious. He was later rescued from the debris of the building, originally constructed by his grandfather decades earlier.

“What did we do wrong to deserve this?” he said in an interview in May, reflecting the frustration and despair felt by many in the city.

In the aftermath of the strikes, the waterfront of Tyre bears visible scars, with broken concrete and damaged infrastructure serving as reminders of the recent violence. Despite the precariousness of the cease-fires, life in the city continues as residents gradually return to their markets and homes, seeking to rebuild amid uncertainty.