Israel targeted almost 200 archaeological, historic sites in Gaza, says minister

The Israeli army has targeted almost 200 archaeological and historic sites in the Gaza Strip since the start of its genocide on 7 October last year, the Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities has said. Hani Al-Hayek revealed the statistic at a conference on the impact of the Israeli aggression on Gaza’s Cultural Heritage held in Ramallah on Monday.

Many museums containing valuables and artefacts as well as historic mosques and churches have all been targeted during the war, explained Al-Hayek. He stressed that the Israeli occupation regime deliberately targets archaeological and historic sites in Gaza as part of a deliberate strategy to erase the history of the Palestinian people.

“Archaeological and historic sites constitute an integral part of the Palestinian people’s national identity and the best evidence of our history as Palestinians on this land,” the minister pointed out. The Israeli army’s massive destruction in Gaza aims to impose a new reality aimed at destroying everything Palestinian, “starting with people and ending with stones,” he added.

Gaza is an ancient and historic city that has been ruled by several empires and civilisations, including the Pharaohs, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Ottomans.

The ongoing Israeli aggression has killed at least 44,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Last Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its “plausible genocide” in Gaza.

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