Gaza’s ancient heritage ruined amid Israeli offensive with 20,000 artifacts missing

Gaza’s rich and ancient cultural heritage is under grave threat as the two years of Israeli military offensive has damaged historic sites and thousands of artefacts have been vanished.

According to UNESCO, over 100 historic structures and thousands of archaeological objects in the Gaza Strip have been partially or totally destroyed since the war began in October 2023. 

“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. The ministry claims more than 316 archaeological sites and historical buildings, many dating from the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, have been fully or partially destroyed.

One of the most striking losses concerns Qasr al‑Basha, a Mamluk-era palace in Gaza City’s Old City, built upon a site whose roots go back to around 800 BC. Cultural heritage expert Hamouda Al‑Dahdar reports that 70 per cent of the palace was damaged in Israeli attacks.

In the midst of this destruction, looting has intensified the losses. Authorities claim more than 20,000 rare artefacts, from prehistoric times to the Ottoman period, have disappeared from Gaza’s museums and collections. Technicians working under rubble with basic tools continue to search for scattered remains. 

Experts warn that once archaeological contexts are disrupted, the historical value is effectively lost. A policy paper on Gaza’s heritage notes that “more than 100 archaeological sites, 256 historical buildings and over 100,000 archaeological objects were destroyed.” 

The damage extends across civilisational, Roman-era necropolises, Byzantine churches, early-Islamic buildings, Mamluk palaces and Ottoman residences have all been impacted. 

Gaza’s tourism and antiquities officials say rebuilding will be a monumental task, both in physical restoration and in regenerating a sense of cultural identity. As one heritage specialist put it, “Each piece of these artefacts are historically significant and represents a chapter of Palestine’s civilisational history.”

The destruction of Gaza’s cultural heritage raises urgent questions about the protection of heritage in conflict zones, the obligations of international law and the long-term consequences for Palestinian identity.