Ramallah: The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Wednesday announced that 226 archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip have been damaged as a result of direct Israeli targeting.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, the Ministry made this announcement in cooperation with the Center 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 stated 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 analyzed to assess the extent of the damage.
The report finds that out of the 316 sites, 138 sites sustained major damage, 61 others were moderately damaged, 27 others suffered slight damage, and 90 others remained undamaged.
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, requiring 31.2 million euros. Phase 2 involves the interventions necessary to restore and rehabilitate partially endangered sites, requiring 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.