The destruction of cultural heritage has become a constant weapon during armed conflicts. The cases of Palmira and Sana’a are paradigmatic of these dynamics; nevertheless, there have been differences between the international responses to both cases. Taking into account variables such as the space that bothstates occupy in the international power structure, different actors involved, Islamic state factor and the relationship between heritage and identity this paper analyzes international reactions towards both sites to study the ecosystem generated around each case study. To do so, reactions to both cases will be confrontedusing categories created using the models of Heritage for Peace and Al Quntar & Daniels. The review confirms a differentiated problematization of both cases in the international public agenda.