BEIRUT, LEBANON — As Israel intensified attacks in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek this week, residents with nowhere else to go fled to the ancient Roman temples, hoping the archaeological site’s internationally protected status might save them.

The governor of Baalbek-Hermel province, Bachir Khodr, told them even that was no longer safe.

“Some citizens went to the Baalbek citadel,” he told NPR, referring to the part of the ancient site where the 2,000-year-old temple of Jupiter and temple of Bacchus are located. “But their lives are also at risk there, so to protect them, their safety and their lives, I urged them to leave the entire city of Baalbek.”

The Israeli military Wednesday released a map on social media encompassing the entire city and surrounding villages, warning it was preparing to bomb the area in its fight against the militant group Hezbollah. Tens of thousands of residents fled the city after the warning.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes in Baalbek killed 19 […]