Heritage connects people through history, traditions, and monuments, and its loss would diminish our shared human story. In 1972, international bodies formed the World Heritage Convention to address threats to natural and cultural sites through cooperation. Now extremist groups are ignoring cultural heritage's importance and devastating symbolically important sites. As of 2015, 48 properties were endangered, many in war-torn areas like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Actions against sites in Syria and Iraq like Palmyra are considered war crimes. International cooperation and assistance are needed to find efficient, long-term solutions to this growing threat, which jeopardizes humanity's civilizational identity.