Alongside Israel’s genocide in Gaza, there has been an apparent attempt to erase the Palestinian enclave’s cultural heritage. At least 164 cultural sites in Gaza have been damaged since Israeli military operations began in October 2023 and March 2026, according to UNESCO. Among the ancient landmarks affected in waves of Israeli bombing are the Great Omari Mosque and Hamam al-Sammara, Qasr al-Basha in Gaza’s Old City, and the al-Qarara Cultural Museum near Khan Younis.
Among the rubble are precious artefacts and antiquities, which tell a story of Gaza’s rich cultural history, being at the crossroads of multiple empires and peoples over centuries. Amid the destruction and disorder of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed at least 74,022 Palestinians, valuable relics of Palestine’s history are being lost. The Mayasem Association for Culture and Arts’ “Guardians of Heritage” team is racing against time to recover these items at risk of deteriorating or being stolen.
Shaimaa Mohammad al-Natour, assistant coordinator of the programme, told Al Jazeera that her team has so far rescued more than 1,700 historical pieces from four museum collections since their work began. The team is working hard to recover the remaining lost artefacts of Gaza’s 5,000-year-old history. But they face huge challenges, including continued displacement, a shortage of specialised restoration equipment and Israeli military restrictions.
There is also the dangerous task of rescuing items near the so-called “Yellow Line”, a dividing zone in Gaza where Israel has complete military control. As of April, 196 Palestinians have been killed in this area since a ceasefire came into effect in October 2025. One of our core principles is: human life comes first.” With 84 percent of all structures in Gaza damaged or destroyed since Israel’s war on Gaza began, the team currently works from a tent in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
What began as a self-initiated effort has turned into a field operation with the huge burden of ensuring that Gaza’s heritage is not lost. The team conducts extensive field surveys across southern and central areas of Gaza to document the damage inflicted on both private and public museum collections during Israel’s nearly three-year assault on the enclave. It is the first organised local effort to address the impact of the war on the region’s historical landmarks.
The team works closely with locals and displaced residents who find artefacts among the debris which carpets Gaza. We try as much as possible not to bring any artefact into storage without a record and basic information to help us identify its origin,” said al-Natour. Certain archaeological items, particularly pottery and glassware, are subject to immense physical stress caused by explosions and collapsed building debris, resulting in fractures.
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