Over 800 Mosques Destroyed in Gaza During Israel’s Genocide in 2024: Ministry or Awqaf
Gaza (Quds News Network)- Israeli occupation forces destroyed 815 mosques and partially damaged another 151 in Gaza in 2024 during its genocide war, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has said in a report.
According to the report, 19 cemeteries were also destroyed, with graves desecrated and bodies exhumed. Three churches in Gaza City were also hit and destroyed in the Israeli attacks.
Gaza is home to some of the oldest churches and mosques in the world, but many have not escaped the widespread destruction of Israel’s offensive.
Believed to be one of the oldest churches in the world, St Porphyrius is one of a handful dotted around the Gaza Strip. Many of the territory’s small Christian population, which before the war numbered about 1,000, has a strong connection to the land. St Porphyrius was a 5th Century bishop in Gaza whose tomb lies under the church.
The ancient Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, a significant historical site dating back to 425 AD, has reportedly been struck by Israeli airstrikes. The church bears the name of Saint Porphyrius, the bishop renowned for introducing Christianity to Gaza during his tenure… pic.twitter.com/5aL14EQnYK
— Jehad Abusalim جهاد أبو سليم (@JehadAbusalim) October 19, 2023
The Great Omari Mosque, the largest and oldest in Gaza City, was also reduced to rubble. Only the minaret appeared to be intact, with the surroundings shattered. The site has been a Christian or Muslim holy site since at least the fifth century.
Israel destroyed the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza, one of the oldest and most historically significant structures in both Palestine and the broader Middle East. pic.twitter.com/lVMbcIvxGQ
— Jehad Abusalim جهاد أبو سليم (@JehadAbusalim) December 28, 2023
Videos shared by Israeli soldiers on social media show them entering religious buildings, taking pictures, and disrespecting the sanctity of these sacred spaces while glorifying their destruction.
Watch | Shocking footage exclusively published by Al-Jazeera shows Israeli occupation forces detonating the ancient Greater Mosque in Khan Yunis. Another video from an Israeli soldier's GoPro captures the raiding of a mosque and the burning of all Quran copies inside. pic.twitter.com/L0YVxGAaLv
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 23, 2024
With confirmed reports of hundreds of mosques destroyed by the Israeli occupation army in Gaza, a female Israeli soldier poses for a picture inside a severally damaged mosque in the war-torn region. pic.twitter.com/5klJ3xPbyD
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 3, 2024
One image seen on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows an Israeli soldier posing in front of a fallen minaret which has been graffitied in Hebrew with the words “the temple will be rebuilt”.
On the wall of a demolished mosque in Gaza, an Israeli soldier drew a picture of the Third Temple that Israelis plan to build on the ruins of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/V3pb8WIv7L
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) February 12, 2024
An Israeli soldier posing next to a fallen mosque minaret in Gaza with the message written on it: "The temple shall be built soon." pic.twitter.com/LcowngxccX
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 5, 2024
According to international humanitarian law, intentionally targeting religious buildings during conflict is a war crime.
An American soldier serving in the Israeli occupation army has posted photos from inside the mosque of the Rafah border crossing, on Gaza's border with Egypt, showing obscene insults against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) written by Israeli soldiers. pic.twitter.com/OVL3J7wLSc
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 12, 2024
