The Palestinian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism revealed that Israel “deliberately” targeted at least 188 archaeological and historical sites in Gaza. As well as targeting museums containing artifacts, and destroying mosques and historic churches, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Hayek said during a seminar held in Ramallah entitled “Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Gaza”: “The occupation deliberately targets archaeological and historical sites, in an attempt to erase the history of the Palestinian people, as these sites constitute an important part of the national identity of the Palestinian people, and the best evidence of our history on this land.”

Hayek described what is happening in the Gaza Strip as “an attempt to create a new reality aimed at destroying everything that is Palestinian, starting with the human being and ending with the stone.”