1/23/2024–|Last updated: 1/23/202404:00 PM (Mecca time)
An Israeli human rights organization, human rights activists, politicians, and professional specialists accused Israel of systematically destroying many archaeological sites in Gaza, and of stealing some of them.
The Israeli organization “Amq Shabih”, which specializes in archaeological affairs, said that Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza led to the destruction of hundreds of archaeological and historical sites inside the Strip.
The organization noted that “the State of Israel is not allowed to seize a single piece of antiquities in Gaza, which belongs to the people of Gaza.”
This came after a video spread on social media showing Israeli soldiers at an archaeological site in Gaza, accompanied by an employee from the Israeli Antiquities Authority.
Only the AAA has put out a statement against working with Israeli institutions (Summer 2023). Where are the rest of our departments and organizations??
— Leslie Perkins-Sharkey, MA (@CharterVanilla) January 21, 2024
The clip shared by the director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, Elie Escosido, sparked widespread anger across the platforms, especially after Escosido himself celebrated the discovery of the group with the phrase “wonderful,” and later displayed a picture of those antiquities in the Knesset.
Many politicians, specialists and activists warned that these actions are an extension of the crimes of genocide committed by the occupation in Gaza, and demanded that they be included in the terms of the complaint filed by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Once again, this is a violation of the Geneva and the Hague Conventions. Our Archeology professional bodies must speak out and act! It’s beyond despicable that we have failed to collectively address this, protect our colleagues and uphold our responsibility to cultural heritage!
— Ayushi Nayak ଆୟୂଷୀ ନାୟକ (@ayushi_nayak) January 21, 2024
Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi commented in her tweet: “Israel not only wants to crush our present and destroy our future; it is trying to erase our past. It has deliberately targeted cultural heritage sites in Gaza.”
“Once again, this is a violation of the Geneva and Hague Conventions,” archaeologist Aayushi Nayok wrote. “Our professional bodies in archaeology must speak up and act, and it is disgusting that we have failed to address this matter and uphold our responsibility to cultural heritage.”
Not only does it want to crush our present & destroy our future, Israel is attempting to obliterate our past. Cultural heritage sites in Gaza have been deliberately targeted, & in the West Bank Israeli occupation army & settlers are systematically raiding archeological sites.
— Hanan Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) January 21, 2024
The photos that the Israeli official shared were no longer on his account, but he returned hours later and tried to amend his words. He said that the matter was a summons from the army to inspect the warehouse and submit a report to the army, but the antiquities were not moved from their location.
The government media office in Gaza previously warned that Israel targeted and destroyed more than 200 archaeological and heritage sites, out of 325 sites in the Strip, as part of its ongoing war on the Strip since last October 7.
Colonial theft and archives are obsessed with controlling a record of indigenous people all while simultaneously dismissing indigenous lives in the present and future.
– Nour Joudah (@nsdoud) January 21, 2024
Gaza is considered one of the ancient cities of the world, rich in heritage, as it was subject to the rule of the Pharaohs, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and then the Islamic era.
Is stealing archaeological artifacts part of fighting Hamas too?
Thieves and criminals. It’s 1948 all over again.
– Marwa Fatafta Marwa Fatafta (@marwasf) January 21, 2024