226 archaeological sites damaged in Gaza due to Israeli strikes
Ramallah, Feb 6 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Israeli strikes have damaged 226 archaeological sites in Gaza during the war, with repair costs estimated at 261 million euros, according to a report released by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The damage assessment revealed that 138 sites suffered significant damage, 61 moderate damage, and 27 minor damage, while 90 sites remained intact, the Ministry said on Wednesday in its report on cultural heritage sites.
The Ministry accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting historical sites, which it described as fundamental to Palestinian national identity, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Ministry made this announcement in cooperation with the Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation as part of a report dubbed “Inventory of the Damages and Risks to Cultural Heritage Sites in Gaza”, which assessed the damages inflicted on them as a result of the recent Israeli aggression.
Co-prepared by 13 Palestinian experts in cooperation with an Oxford University team over a year, the report examines 316 cultural heritage sites in Gaza, encompassing archaeological sites, heritage buildings, museums, religious buildings, historical cemeteries, cultural scenes, natural sites, and landmarks, as said by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Hani Al-Hayek.
Speaking at the Ministry’s headquarters in Ramallah, the Minister pointed out that the report was based on a thorough field survey of all sites, analysis of satellite images, data collection, and the creation of individual site models. This information was then analysed to assess the extent of the damage.
It estimates the budget required for the recovery of the cultural heritage sector at 261.15 million euros, to be implemented in three phases over eight years.
Phase 1 involves an urgent intervention to salvage and support endangered sites, and requires 31.2 million euros. Phase 2 involves the interventions necessary to restore and rehabilitate partially endangered sites, and requires 96.72 million euros. Phase 3 is concerned with the reconstruction of threatened sites, requiring 133.23 million euros.
Minister Al-Hayek said that the historical archaeological sites are an important part of the history and identity of the Palestinian people on Palestinian land, adding that the occupation, by targeting these sites, is deliberately erasing and destroying this important part and the basic pillar of the Palestinian national identity.
Israel launched a large-scale war against the Palestinian enclave on October 7, 2023, following a surprising Hamas attack on southern Israeli towns, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people.
The Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed more than 47,000 Palestinians and caused extensive damage in the strip.
The UN estimates that the damaged buildings include more than 90 per cent of the housing units in Gaza, with 160,000 destroyed and a further 276,000 severely or partially damaged.
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