Crimes against history: Israeli occupation destroys ancient places in Gaza

Since October 7, the Israeli occupation has not stopped showing the world how inhumane, unethical, and brutal it is. The Zionist entity continues to commit barbaric massacres and immoral actions, violating international laws and disrespecting the appeals of the global community. An endless series of vicious acts are happening in Gaza, including demolishing and erasing Palestinian culture, archaeological, and historical places.   

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor accused the Israeli occupation of “intentionally destroying” historical and cultural monuments in Gaza. The organization demanded an international investigation into Israel's destruction of Palestinian cultural heritage. 

The rights group drew attention to the fact that a large part of Gaza's Old City—which the occupation has been bombarding with artillery—is home to historic homes, mosques, churches, markets, and educational facilities, according to the New Arab. 

Israeli warplanes destroyed the historic Othman bin Qashqar Mosque, damaging surrounding homes and inflicting casualties on residents of Gaza City's old town, according to a report by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The mosque is one of the oldest in the Gaza Strip and among the oldest archaeological sites. It was constructed in the year 620 Hijra (1220 CE). It is situated next to the Great Omari Mosque, which was also demolished by Israeli bombers during this invasion, in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, the Palestine Chronicle reported. 

The Great Omari Mosque was converted from a Canaanite temple into a mosque by Arabs in the seventh century. Both the Sheikh Salim Abu-Muslim and Sheikh Saad mosques in Beit Lahia, which were constructed 600 and 500 years ago, respectively, and house shrines for the two sheikhs, suffered significant damage. The Ottoman-style Katib al-Wilaya Mosque, built in the fifteenth century, sustained some damage on October 17 but might be repaired, according to Watani Newspaper. 

The over 1,600-year-old Monastery of Saint Hilarion at Tell Umm Amer, the late Ottoman-era House of Al-Ghussein, and the Hammam of Smara are among the other noteworthy locations impacted, according to the New Arab. 

Cultural institutions are also being demolished. According to reports, at least six cultural centers, including the Rafah Museum, Al-Qarara Cultural Museum, and the Orthodox Cultural Center, have been destroyed. Israel's bombardment of Gaza also destroyed five bookstores.

Moreover, Anthedon Harbour, the earliest known seaport in Gaza, inhabited from 800 BCE to 1100 CE, has also been severely damaged by the shelling. It is one of three sites in Gaza on UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage, the Art Newspaper reported. 

In a report released on November 3, the Arab Council of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists in Cairo (GUAA) listed all the historical sites that have been damaged by Israeli strikes on Gaza since the conflict began.

Many churches suffered damage. Built in 406 CE, the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest church in Gaza, was bombed on October 19. The church's nave sustained major damage, while the administration building was totally demolished. Over twenty Christian families who sought sanctuary within the church were murdered, according to Watani Newspaper. 

In Jabalia, indirect bombardment partially destroyed the 444 CE Byzantine Church and the Holy Family Catholic Church, which was established by Fr. Jean Morétan in Gaza in 1869.

The Baptist Church, which was established by the Church Missionary Society of the Church of England in 1882, is housed at the National Baptist Hospital. On October 17, Israel bombed the hospital, severely damaging the church and its annexes and leaving hundreds of people dead or injured.

The New Arab reported that Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank shared images from inside the severely destructed municipal structure where Gaza’s central archive was devastated, ruining thousands of historical records and wiping out the city and its past. It is noteworthy that the archive has records that date back more than a century, including significant national records spanning several generations and information about the history of Gaza and its inhabitants.