Israel destroys second largest historical mosque in Gaza

Israeli occupation forces yesterday destroyed the second largest historical mosque in Gaza, turning it into rubble, Quds Press reported.

The agency said Israeli warplanes fired several missiles at the Ibn Uthman Mosque, in the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood, in central Gaza City, a week after starting a ruthless offensive on the neighbourhood.

According to specialists, the mosque is the second largest archaeological mosque in the Gaza Strip after the Great Al-Omari Mosque, in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood in the centre of the city, and proof of the ancient history of Gaza City.

Photo shows Ibn Uthman mosque, the second largest mosque in Gaza, before and after the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

The mosque had been standing for 600 years before an IOF soldier destroyed it in seconds. pic.twitter.com/tZ23PWpsMB

— V PALESTINE 🇵🇸 (@V_Palestine20) July 3, 2024

Residents of the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood refer to the mosque as the Great Mosque due to its large area and location in the neighbourhood’s main market, which had a great impact on their lives since its founding more than 600 years ago.

The Ibn Uthman Mosque had been subjected to attacks and demolition during previous wars on the Gaza Strip, and was considered a centre of confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces during the First Intifada that broke out in December 1987.

The mosque is 2,000 square metres in size, of which 400 square metres is the area of ​​its main courtyard, and it has two gates overlooking the Shuja’iyya market. It was built in the Mamluk style.

READ: Israel soldiers turn mosque in Gaza’s Rafah into ‘cooking place’