The Grand Mosque of Omari was reduced to ruins, with only its ancient minaret standing, according to images released by the Palestinian group.
Hamas said Israel bombed Gaza’s medieval Omari Mosque, causing widespread destruction of the historic site, and urged UNESCO to protect historic buildings in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Footage and images posted on social media by the Palestinian group on Friday appear to show the Grand Omari Mosque, the largest and oldest in Gaza City, reduced to ruins.
Only the minaret seemed intact, the surroundings being broken. The site has been a Christian or Muslim holy site since at least the fifth century.
“The crime of targeting and destroying archaeological sites should prompt the world and UNESCO to act to preserve this great civilizational and cultural heritage,” Gaza’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said. An estimated 104 mosques have been razed since the Israeli assault on Gaza began on October 7.
Palestinians in Gaza expressed outrage after seeing the images. “I prayed and played there throughout my childhood,” Ahmed Nemer, 45, told the Reuters news service, accusing Israel of “trying to erase our memories.”
The tailor, who lived on the street next to the Omari mosque, spoke from southern Gaza, where he fled to safety from bombings.
Mohammad Rajab, a Gaza City taxi driver who also fled south from his home a few hundred meters from the mosque, said it was the city’s most important monument. “It’s barbaric,” he said.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
The Othman bin Qashqar Mosque, also in Gaza City, was hit by air raids on Thursday, Hamas said. He also condemned the destruction of the Hammam al-Samara, the last Turkish-style bath in the territory, where Palestinians in Gaza had bathed for more than 1,000 years.
The Palestinian group, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, said three churches were also destroyed, including the 1,000-year-old Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyry, the oldest still operating in the territory.
Israel has been relentlessly bombing the Gaza Strip since Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.
The Israeli attack on Gaza has killed more than 17,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in the besieged enclave, and ravaged entire neighborhoods of the city, including many civilian infrastructures.
The NGO Heritage for Peace has counted 195 architectural heritage sites in Gaza. In a recent survey, the group found that 104 sites had been partially damaged by continued conflict.
Gaza’s architectural heritage had already suffered during previous wars between Israel and Hamas. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using mosques, schools and other civilian infrastructure to protect its fighters.
