Israel’s repeated airstrikes on Gaza have destroyed more than 100 cultural landmarks and historic sites according to a preliminary report by the Catalonian NGO Heritage for Peace that was released earlier this month.
The airstrikes, which took place after the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,400 Israelis and involved the taking of 240 hostages, have “destroyed or damaged” roughly 45 percent of housing in Gaza, leading to what the United Nations has called a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
Historic religious sites, museums, and archaeological sites have been destroyed, the report says, noting that Gaza has been a cultural hub for every civilization that has conquered the region, from Egypt in the early 15th century BCE, to the Greeks under Alexander the Great, to the Roman and Byzantine Empires.
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There have been reports of notable centuries old churches and mosques having fallen victim to the bombing campaign, including the Omari Mosque in Jabaliya in Northern Gaza; the Saint Porphyrius church, which is thought to be the third oldest church in the world; and the Ibn Uthman and Sayed Hashem Mosques.
“The report shows the importance of Gaza’s heritage,” said Isber Sabrine, a Syrian archaeologist and president of Heritage for Peace. “It is a small area but with a lot of heritage.”
According to the Palestinian ministry of tourism and antiquities, it’s currently not possible to get a full assessment of damaged or destroyed heritage sites, given the conditions on the ground. “We cannot ask [staff in Gaza] to check on the sites during this time,” Jehad Yasin, the ministry’s director of museums and excavations, told the Art Newspaper.
The campaign has also taken its toll on museums in the region, with damage reported at the Rafah Museum, which posted videos to Facebook showing that appeared to show its partially collapsed building. The Al Qarara Cultural Museum and Deir Al Balah museum also reported damage.