Israel destroys Gaza’s historic Al Omari Mosque

By Nada Ali On Dec 10, 2023

The Great Omari Mosque, the largest and oldest in Gaza City, reduced to rubble after being hit by airstrikes. Photo Credit: Reuters

The Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) bombed on Friday the Great Omari Mosque, Gaza’s largest and oldest mosque, causing widespread destruction to the building, the Gaza City Council announced.

“The crime of targeting and destroying archaeological sites should spur the world and UNESCO into action to preserve this great civilisational and cultural heritage,” said Gaza’s Antiquities Ministry.

This catastrophic event is part of a wider pattern of destruction, which includes over 100 mosques and several churches, such as the ancient Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius.

The site of the current mosque was an ancient Palestinian temple, then the Byzantines turned it into a church in the fifth century AD, and after the Islamic conquest in the seventh century, Muslims turned it into a mosque.

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 17,700 people and more than 48,780 wounded since the war began on October 7^th, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.