Systematic, deliberate cultural genocide unfolding in Gaza
Over the course of 98 days, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed numerous poets, artists, writers, and academics. These attacks have caused substantial damage to the cultural heritage, including the destruction of state archives that held records detailing the history of the region and the country
Established in 1948, Israel has been engaging in actions that violate international law, using hard power to assert its claims over the lands it has settled. Israel has been systematically committing cultural genocide in the Gaza Strip while continuing its military occupation.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, deliberate attacks have led to the destruction of 200 out of 325 immovable cultural properties in the Gaza Strip. This includes places of worship like mosques and churches, as well as museums. Furthermore, sites such as the state archive building have been targeted, resulting in significant losses. The attacks have also claimed the lives of numerous academics, artists, poets, and writers in the region.
Precise data on destroyed archaeological sites in Gaza is still unavailable due to the difficulty of conducting surveys and assessing the destruction on the ground, according to a recent report by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Gaza Media Office.
Places of worship such as the Great Omari Mosque, the Ibn Osman Mosque, the Sayed Hashim Mosque, the Othman Bin Qashqai Mosque, the Church of St. Porphyrius were partially or completely destroyed, while the Roman monumental cemetery in northern Gaza was completely destroyed by the bombardment. In addition to the Muslim Gazans killed in mosques, members of Gaza’s Christian community were among those killed in churches.
Some of Gaza’s museums were completely destroyed, while many others were partially damaged. Rafah Museum in southern Gaza announced that its building was partially destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, while Al Qarara Cultural Museum and Deir al-Balah Museum in central Gaza were also damaged by regime airstrikes. The Rashad al-Shawwa Historical Cultural Center, a cultural center that houses a theater and a library with around 20,000 books, was also targeted by regime airstrikes.
Anthedon Harbor, about 2 kilometers north of the modern port of Gaza and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was also heavily damaged by regime bombardment.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) reported that the Mamluk-era al-Saqqa House, built in 1661, was also damaged. In addition, many buildings dating back to the Ottoman period or restored by the Ottomans were partially or completely destroyed.
The Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, founded in 1882 and believed to be the oldest hospital in Gaza, was also targeted and partially destroyed by the regime in October, killing more than 470 people.
According to ICOMOS, the central archives of Gaza City were completely destroyed and thousands of historical documents were lost.
The Palestinian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism called on the international community to protect Gaza’s cultural heritage in the face of the cultural genocide being carried out by Israel despite being a signatory of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Source: Newsroom
