The Palestinian Ministry of Culture said – today, Saturday – that the Israeli bombing of Gaza completely destroyed the only remaining archaeological bath in the Strip, whose construction dates back nearly a thousand years.
The ministry added in a statement, “The Israeli occupation aircraft bombed Hamam Al-Samra in the center of Gaza City and completely destroyed it.”
The Ministry explained in a statement that the area of the bath is “about 500 square metres, and it is considered a tourist and therapeutic attraction at the same time. The first people to work on it were the Samaritans, and from here it began to be called the Samra Bath.”
The ministry posted on its Facebook page pictures of the bathroom before and after the bombing.
Israel has continued to bomb the Gaza Strip since October 7, after a Hamas attack on settlements and Israeli army camps in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza says that the Israeli attack on the Strip has so far killed more than 21,600 Palestinians, most of whom are children and women, in addition to thousands of people missing under the rubble.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) called on UNESCO – and other international organizations concerned with protecting archaeological and historical sites – to stand up to the crime of the occupation army’s deliberate targeting of most historical sites and monuments in the Gaza Strip.
She added in a statement that the occupation targeted more than 200 historical archaeological sites dating back to ancient times and eras that bear witness to the nobility, authenticity and heritage of the Palestinian people, in an attempt to erase the national cultural identity.
There was no comment from the Israeli army regarding its targeting of the ancient Hamam al-Samra.
