Wednesday 08 / October / 2025
Ramallah: 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.
