(MENAFN) Gaza’s cultural and historical heritage has suffered extensive damage during Israel’s two-year conflict, with more than 20,000 rare artifacts—from prehistoric times to the Ottoman period—reported missing or looted.

“The Israeli army has systematically and extensively destroyed Gaza’s archaeological sites as part of a policy aimed at erasing Palestinian identity,” said Ismail al-Thawabteh, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office.

Official reports indicate that Israeli forces have fully or partially destroyed over 316 archaeological sites and historic buildings across the Gaza Strip, including sites from the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, as well as relics dating back to the early Islamic and Byzantine periods.

Among the targeted sites was Qasr al-Basha, a Mamluk-era palace built on a UNESCO heritage location with roots reaching 800 BC. Situated in Gaza City’s Old City, approximately 70% of the palace was damaged during Israeli attacks, according to Hamouda Al-Dahdar, a cultural heritage expert at the Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Bethlehem.

Recovery efforts are ongoing, with technicians and workers carefully excavating rubble to locate and preserve surviving artifacts.

“What happened to Gaza’s heritage was not only destruction; it was organized looting, a practice criminalized under international law and considered an assault on global cultural heritage,” Thawabteh added. He noted that more than 20,000 rare items housed in museums were lost during the conflict.

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