Palestinians are beginning to assess the damage to Gaza's cultural heritage after Israel's military offensive, which has left much of the territory in ruins. Among the sites affected is the Great Omari Mosque, a historic place of worship that had stood for centuries. Muneer Elbaz, a Palestinian heritage consultant, recalled visiting the mosque with his family before the war, describing it as a place that 'transports us from one era to another.' The mosque now lies largely destroyed, hit by Israeli strikes during the conflict.
The war, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, has resulted in over 72,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israeli military accuses Hamas of using heritage sites for military purposes, including concealing tunnels and assets. It said it struck a 'terror tunnel' at the Omari mosque and a 'Hamas military compound' at Pasha Palace, though it did not provide evidence.
UNESCO has verified damage to at least 150 cultural sites since the war began, including 14 religious sites, 115 historical buildings, and eight archaeological sites. The Saint Porphyrius Orthodox church complex, which sheltered displaced Palestinians, was also damaged in an Israeli attack that the military said targeted a nearby Hamas command center. However, the Saint Hilarion Monastery, dating to the 4th century, appears to have been spared.
Efforts to salvage what remains are underway, but full restoration faces major obstacles. The Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation is conducting urgent rescue work at Pasha Palace, where artifacts including an Ottoman-era Quranic manuscript and a Roman-era sarcophagus have been looted or damaged. Issam Juha, the centre's co-director, said the destruction of heritage sites threatens to erase Palestinian identity and their connection to the land.
Under international law, cultural property should not be targeted or used for military purposes. An independent UN commission said it found no evidence of a tunnel shaft in the Omari mosque, and noted that even a legitimate military objective would not justify the resulting damage. Israel has accused the commission of bias.
