Israel: Hizballah rocket hits ‘painstakingly restored’ sixth-century Byzantine-era church

Hizballah jihadis no doubt regret this keenly: they were hoping to hit Israeli civilians.

“Hezbollah rocket hits Byzantine-era church in Nahariya, damages protective structure,” by Miriam Sela-Eitam, Jerusalem Post, April 12, 2026:

A rocket fired by Hezbollah toward northern Israel on Friday struck the remains of a Byzantine-era church in Nahariya, damaging its modern, protective structure, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) told The Jerusalem Post.

The church, rediscovered by the Nehariya municipality in 1964, is home to a colorful mosaic floor dating to roughly 550 CE.

Originally destroyed by the Persians in 614 CE, it was painstakingly restored by the IAA over the course of two years, and officially opened to the public in 2022.

On Sunday, a team of archaeologists and conservators from the IAA, along with representatives from the municipality and the Israel Tax Authority,y conducted an on-site assessment of the possible damage caused to the mosaic.

While the mosaic was covered in debris from the damaged protective structure, it had not been damaged itself, the IAA said to the Post….

“From the decorations of the basilica, we see that the person who built it was very wealthy and invested a lot of money to build it,” IAA regional director Kamil Sari explained in 2022, adding that an inscription in old Greek indicates the church was built by the archbishop of Tyre, modern day Sidon, Lebanon….