Palestinians seek to rescue Gaza’s history from the ruins of Israel’s military offensive

Gaza.- Muneer Elbaz remembers the joy of visiting the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza with his family, praying in a place where people have prayed for centuries as empires came and went. “They were the best days,” said Elbaz, recalling his walks through the lively markets that surrounded the mosque before the war between Israel and Hamas. “This place transports us from one era to another.”

Today, much of the mosque is in ruins, like most of Gaza, after being hit by Israeli attacks during the two-year war, cushioned by an uncertain ceasefire. The sight of the rubble evokes “a tree uprooted from the earth,” said Elbaz, a Palestinian heritage consultant involved in the site’s recovery work.

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Israel’s military offensive killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, and wiped out entire families. Part of the heritage of a land with a rich history dating back to antiquity has also been lost. The mosque was built on the site where a Byzantine church once stood, and it changed hands and even religion according to the invaders. With the suspension of major military operations, Palestinians have a clearer view of the destruction. Some organizations are trying to save what they can at historical sites, even as large-scale restoration — and the broader reconstruction of the territory — face significant obstacles.

Dozens of sites were damaged

Israel launched its offensive after militants led by Hamas killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage in the October 7, 2023 attack. The army accuses Hamas of hiding military assets under or near heritage sites, as well as other civilian structures. The UN cultural agency, in an ongoing assessment based on satellite imagery, claims to have verified damage to at least 150 sites since the start of the war. These include 14 religious sites, 115 buildings of historical or artistic interest, nine monuments, and eight archaeological sites.

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They are fragments of the soul of Gaza that connect Palestinians to a place and a history that many fear is at risk of being erased.