Two Years of War: The Systematic Erasure of Gaza’s Cultural Heritage Ramallah,
8 Oct (ONA) — Two years after the onset of the Israeli brutal war against the
Gaza Strip, the full scale of the damage is coming into sharp focus. Observers
are now describing it as one of the most extensive campaigns of cultural
erasure in modern history, an assault that has targeted not only buildings but
also the collective memory, identity, and heritage of the Palestinian people. A
systematic campaign, according to Palestinian officials and human rights
groups, has seen libraries burned, museums demolished, and cultural
institutions leveled. They assert that this constitutes a targeted effort to
dismantle the cultural and intellectual foundations of Palestinian society in
Gaza. This
destruction is viewed by observers as an escalation of long-standing policies
aimed at undermining Palestinian identity. The repeated bombardment of
cultural, artistic, educational, archaeological, and religious sites is
characterized as a strategic tool to achieve broader political objectives by
erasing the historical presence of Gaza’s people. The
region’s cultural heritage now stands in severe peril. The widespread
destruction of cultural centers, museums, historical landmarks, libraries, and
publishing houses has severely compromised the ability of future generations to
connect with their history and legacy. The
war has damaged or destroyed all of Gaza’s museums. This includes the National
Museum in Qasr al-Basha, which held tens of thousands of artifacts, and the
municipally-run Deir al-Balah Museum. Countless collections have been lost,
with reports of looting and subsequent transfer of artifacts to Israeli
institutions. The offensive has also obliterated dozens of public, private, and
university libraries, alongside printing presses—a move cultural experts label
a deliberate erasure of Gaza’s intellectual record. The
devastation extends to hundreds of historical structures and archaeological
sites. Local heritage authorities report at least 226 damaged archaeological
sites, including the ancient Tell al-Ajjul, dating to the Bronze Age. Over
1,000 mosques have been fully or partially destroyed, among them the historic
Great Omari Mosque. Furthermore, at least eight cemeteries, including a nearly
2,000-year-old Roman burial ground, have been obliterated. The
education sector has suffered unprecedented losses. The conflict has claimed
the lives of approximately 18,000 students, 750 teachers, and more than 230
university professors. Nearly 95% of schools, universities, and kindergartens
have been damaged or destroyed, depriving over 650,000 students of an
education. The
deliberate targeting of Gaza’s academics, artists, journalists, and scientists
poses a profound threat to its intellectual future. The loss of these key
figures—the primary transmitters of culture and drivers of innovation—coupled
with the destruction of their institutions, has critically weakened the
territory’s cultural and academic foundations.

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Ends/Khalid