العربية
In the weeks following the October 7 Hamas attack, Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed more than 15,000 Palestinians,
according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, and destroyed thousands of homes in the Strip.
The region has also suffered huge losses in ancient cultural heritage of global importance.
The region was a center of trade and culture under Egyptian,
Greek, Roman, and Byzantine rule, and remained influential for centuries afterward.
A recent study by the group Heritage for Peace shows the damage so far to more than 100 of these monuments in Gaza since the beginning of the current conflict.
Among these landmarks is the Great Omari Mosque,
one of the most important and oldest mosques in historic Palestine.
The Church of Saint Porphyrius, which is believed to be the third oldest church in the whole world;
A 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery in northern Gaza was excavated only last year;
and the Rafah Museum, a place in southern Gaza that was dedicated to teaching about the Strip’s long and multi-layered heritage
– He was even subjected to air strikes early in the conflict.
The director of the Rafah Museum, Suhaila Shaheen, said,
“There were priceless pieces of coins, precious stones, copper plates, and clothes.
Fragments of white plaster were scattered on the ground.
The wall behind it had completely collapsed. The Rafah Museum is in God’s care now.”
Destruction of many cultural heritage sites
During the attack on the Gaza Strip, many cultural heritage sites and ancient monuments were destroyed, including the oldest mosque in Gaza.
Since October 7, many mosques, churches, hospitals,
schools and residential buildings have been destroyed.
Including the Grand Al-Omari Mosque located in the Al-Daraj neighborhood – one of the most important and oldest mosques in Palestine.
The Orthodox Cultural Center and the Qarara Cultural Museum were also destroyed.
Each of these buildings had historical and cultural importance to the local community,
and their destruction had a profound impact on the region.
According to the Middle East Monitor, Israeli warplanes bombed the old Othman bin Qashqai Mosque in the Old City of Gaza.
Which led to the death of several people and damage to nearby homes.
According to what was reported by the Palestinian News Agency,
nine publishing houses and libraries were destroyed.
In addition to the complete or partial destruction of at least 21 cultural centers.
Most parts of Gaza City’s Old City were also destroyed,
including 20 historical buildings, including churches, mosques, museums and archaeological sites.
Three studios and media and artistic production companies were also damaged.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said,
“The crime of targeting and destroying archaeological sites must push the world and UNESCO to take action.
To preserve this great civilizational and cultural heritage.”
Since the beginning of the conflict on October 7,
a large number of individuals have been affected, and according to reports, deaths continue to be recorded.
Gaza reconstruction requirements
It is difficult to calculate the costs of Gaza’s reconstruction.
The 11-day war on Gaza in 2021 saw 2,000 homes destroyed and about 22,000 housing units damaged.
It then required more than $1 billion in foreign financing to aid recovery efforts.
This was just a drop in the bucket for the current requirement, when hostilities actually ceased.
Some Palestinian officials estimate the economic cost of the 2014 Israeli ground operation in Gaza at more than $6 billion,
but the current war is already much longer and more destructive.
Initial forecasts predicted costs of up to $50 billion due to the massive amount of destruction caused by the brutal and unprecedented Israeli attack on the besieged Strip.
In this context, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced last week that Turkey will make enormous efforts to rebuild hospitals,
schools and other destroyed infrastructure once the ceasefire is implemented.
All reconstruction expenses may exceed $50 billion if the Israeli aggression stops.
At the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh on November 11, the final statement stressed the need to “mobilize international partners to reconstruct Gaza and mitigate the effects of the comprehensive destruction caused by the Israeli aggression” once it stops.
The statement also called for the establishment of a Gaza Reconstruction Fund.
Among the “solution mechanisms” proposed by the summit is the establishment of an Arab and Islamic financial safety net to support Gaza, in addition to calling for increased international financing.
