By: George Kurzom
https://www.maan-ctr.org/magazine/article/4213/
The Pasha Palace before and after the destruction
Exclusive to Environment and Development Horizons (Afaq magazine):
Since October 2023, the Israeli forces have demolished hundreds of historic buildings in the Gaza Strip, some dating back hundreds of years. Numerous historical, cultural, and archeological monuments, colleges, schools, museums, libraries, and archives have all been bombed by Israeli forces, resulting in irreversible damage.
Out of the 325 known sites in the Gaza Strip, it is estimated that more than 200 heritage and archaeological sites—including mosques, historic churches, old archaeological dwellings, museums, and several significant and uncommon heritage sites—were destroyed, which is regarded as the most horrific contemporary process of annihilation of the Palestinian historical, cultural and heritage existence.
Destruction of religious sites
Hundreds of mosques in the Gaza Strip were either totally or partially demolished, including Al-Omari Mosque, the largest and oldest mosque in the Gaza Strip and the third largest in Palestine (after Al-Aqsa Mosque and Ahmed Pasha Al-Jazzar Mosque in Akka), located in the Daraj area in the in the old city of Gaza. Its unique Islamic architecture highlights its cultural significance, and it dates back to the seventh century.
Additionally, the Byzantine-style Church of St. Porphyrios in the Zaytoun area of Gaza's ancient city was destroyed by the Israeli forces, destroying some of its historical landmarks and martyring twenty Gazans. Built in the fifth century AD, it is the third-oldest church in the world, and because of its significance to both religion and archaeology worldwide, it was proposed for inclusion on the World Heritage List.
Destroying cultural and historical landmarks
It is difficult to list the historical and cultural sites and archaeological structures that the occupying power targeted by bombing and large-scale destruction, due to their abundance. For instance, the cultural museums that hosted monuments representing Gaza's past were not spared the massive criminal aggression that destroyed those structures that were considered repositories of knowledge and identity. The most prominent of these museums is the Akkad Museum in Khan Yunis, where a large part of its artifacts were bombed and destroyed. The museum contains rare and valuable artifacts, including about 2,800 pieces from prehistoric times up to the modern era.
In the Al-Daraj area, "Al-Pasha Palace" was also the subject of bombing and vandalism. It is a model of Mamluk Islamic architecture and one of Gaza City's surviving examples of a palace.
Regarding the Daraj area, which is the remnants of the ancient Gaza City and gives off a historical aura, most of it was purposefully destroyed by the occupation. With its Mamluk architectural style, this district is considered one of the most notable historical neighborhoods. Its lanes are home to numerous ancient landmarks, the most well-known of which is the Al-Omari Mosque, the largest mosque in the area.
In the same perspective, we must not overlook the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City's Zaitoun district, where the occupation carried out a horrifying massacre after destroying the facility and murdering everyone inside, including women, children, and the elderly, resulting in a total of almost 500 martyrs. Founded in 1882, this hospital is among the oldest in Gaza. It is located next to a church and a monastery, and the surrounding region is home to the majority of the Gaza Strip's significant Ottoman structures.
In addition to what was mentioned, the destruction that befell the Ottoman baths, such as the Samra bath, which is the last remaining in Gaza City.
The buildings of the Islamic University and Al-Azhar University, as well as other universities that the occupation converted into military barracks were all bombed and destroyed by the occupation forces. This included Al-Isra University, south of Gaza City, which the occupation, with unparalleled rarely seen hateful arrogance, documented the bombing and blowing up of the university ( on the 17th of January 2024). The university's National Museum, the most significant academic museum in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, was destroyed, along with more than 3,000 rare historical and archaeological artifacts that had been stolen by the Israeli army before the building's bombing, according to the university administration.
International Laws and Accountability
Theoretically, international legislation shields cultural property from harm during hostilities. The Hague Convention (1954) forbids intentional attacks on cultural sites during armed conflicts, and emphasizes the importance of preserving heritage for the benefit of humanity. Regarding the preservation of cultural property, the occupying power disobeys international humanitarian law and human rights legislation.
Many testimonies and reports state that the Israeli army organized the theft of thousands of rare antiquities in the Gaza Strip, including the St. Hilarion Monastery, also known as the "Tel Umm Amer" site. This theft is considered a war crime as per the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention of 1970 affirmed that the theft of antiquities and the illicit trade in them and in cultural property is a war crime, according to international law.
So, the legal provisions exist; but the international challenge lies in implementing them. In particular, UNESCO is expected to fulfill its mandate right away by dispatching an investigative team to the Gaza Strip. The team's main goals will be to find out what happened to thousands of artifacts, confirm the whereabouts of historical and archaeological sites, hold the occupying state accountable for destroying and stealing human cultural heritage, and take punitive legal action against those responsible.
Translated by: Rasha Abu Dayyeh
