Cultural heritage sites worldwide are being systematically damaged and destroyed during armed conflicts, with accountability remaining elusive despite evidence of widespread destruction. Recent examples include Ukraine reporting 148 cultural heritage sites damaged or destroyed in August alone, Gaza's Great Omari Mosque largely destroyed in an Israeli strike in 2023, and more than 100 sites damaged in Iran following February 2024 aerial strikes. Ukrainian activist groups have filed complaints with the International Criminal Court against Russia, but no indictments have been issued, highlighting the persistent gap between legal frameworks and practical enforcement. This pattern of cultural destruction across multiple conflicts raises urgent questions about whether effective action is possible to prevent further damage or ensure accountability.

The legal foundation for protecting cultural heritage exists through the 1954 Hague Convention, which obligates states to safeguard cultural property during armed conflict, but experts note that enforcement remains virtually non-existent. Bijan Rouhani, a researcher specialising in endangered archaeology, emphasises that evidence is no longer the obstacle—satellite imagery, remote sensing, and monitoring teams provide comprehensive documentation—but rather jurisdiction and political will. Beyond Ukraine and Gaza, conflicts in Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran have all damaged irreplaceable cultural sites, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Sudan's Meroe Pyramids and Iran's Golestan Palace. The human and cultural toll is profound, as illustrated by Gaza craftworker Tareq Abu Dayyeh, who states that destroying the past destroys identity and present identity itself.