Almost 1000 Mosques in Gaza Damaged or Destroyed by Israeli Forces
The ministry specified that 815 mosques were completely destroyed, while 151 sustained partial damage, estimating the cost of reconstruction at approximately $500 million.
In addition to the mosques, the ministry reported the destruction of 19 cemeteries and three churches during the same period.
Among the damaged sites are the Great Omari Mosque, one of the oldest and most significant mosques in historical Palestine, and the Church of Saint Porphyrius, considered the third-oldest church in the world. The destruction of the church resulted in the deaths of 18 people.
Read More:
The Israeli regime unleased its genocidal war against Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Palestinian resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in response to decades of Israeli violence against Palestinians. The Israeli war has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Almost all of the 2.3 million population of Gaza have been internally displaced as Israeli and American bombs have flattened large swaths of the besieged territory.
The ministry also noted that 20 mosques in the occupied West Bank were attacked during this period.
Many of these mosques in Gaza have been repurposed as shelters for displaced people.
In one recent incident, an Israeli airstrike targeted a mosque and a school in Deir el-Balah, where displaced civilians had sought refuge. The attack resulted in at least 26 fatalities, with the Israeli military claiming it was targeting a Hamas command and control center, though no supporting evidence was provided.
Read More:
Furthermore, the ministry reported that approximately 300 religious scholars, including imams, Quranic teachers, and Islamic preachers, have been killed since the war began, now entering its 15th month.
In occupied al-Quds, Israeli settlers reportedly carried out 256 incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the past year. These incursions involved performing religious rituals and restricting Muslim worshippers' access to prayer areas.
The widespread destruction of these historic and religious landmarks has been described by some observers as an act of cultural genocide against Palestinians.
Source: Agencies
