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Clearing debris at Gaza's Great Omari Mosque
Workers in hard hats and high-visibility vests are manually removing rubble from the ruins of Gaza's oldest and largest mosque, the medieval Great Omari Mosque, nearly eight weeks into a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Only the broken stump of its octagonal minaret and a few external walls remain after Israeli military strikes during two years of war with Hamas.
Restoration has not yet begun. Israel continues to block construction materials from entering Gaza, citing the terms of the truce agreement.
Engineers face shortages and primitive tools
Hosni al-Mazloum, an engineer with the Palestinian heritage organization Riwaq, said the primary challenge is the scarcity of resources, including iron and construction materials. Workers rely on pickaxes and wheelbarrows, carefully handling stones that date back 1,200 to 1,300 years.
Manuscripts survive against odds
In a nearby office, conservationist Hanin al-Amsi examines fragments of rare Islamic manuscripts recovered from the mosque's 13th-century library. She describes the effort as "first aid for manuscripts," comparing it to emergency medical care.
A team member risked his life to retrieve some manuscripts early in the war when the Old City was under heavy Israeli fire. However, a significant collection remained trapped in the destroyed building.
Since a previous two-month ceasefire in January, al-Amsi's team has recovered 148 of the library's 228 manuscripts. Pre-war digitization efforts, supported by the British Library, helped preserve many works stored in acid-free boxes and iron safes. Some manuscripts emerged in near-perfect condition, while others were reduced to charred scraps.
"Some pieces looked as if they hadn't spent 700 days under the rubble. Others came out as if a child had torn them to pieces."
Hanin al-Amsi, manuscript conservationist
Recent use of heavy equipment uncovered more damaged manuscripts, confirming that the library's archive-containing invaluable Ottoman records-was completely burned.
Accusations of deliberate targeting
Palestinians accuse Israel of intentionally destroying heritage sites, which would constitute a war crime. Israel denies this, stating its actions comply with international law. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attribute the destruction to Hamas operating near or beneath cultural sites.
At the Great Omari Mosque, the IDF claimed it targeted "a tunnel shaft and terror tunnel."
UNESCO has verified damage to 145 religious, historic, and cultural sites in Gaza since October 7, 2023, using satellite imagery. Local groups conducting ground surveys report far higher levels of destruction.
Pasha's Palace: A symbol of Gaza's layered history
Gaza's history spans over 5,000 years, with influences from Canaanites, ancient Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Jewish Hasmoneans, Romans, Christian Byzantines, and Muslim Mamluks and Ottomans.
At the 800-year-old Pasha's Palace in Gaza City's Old City, young workers are removing sand and crumbled mortar to expose a mosaic floor. The site, where Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in 1799, was later converted into a museum showcasing artifacts from French-led excavations.
Issam Juha, director of the Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation (CCHP) in the occupied West Bank, said the current work is minimal due to the lack of cement and lime mortar. "For even basic interventions, we need materials that are not available," he said.
Dr. Hamouda al-Dahdar, leading the on-site restoration, called the palace a symbol of Palestinian identity and memory. "We're determined to preserve what's left of this important landmark," he said.
The IDF stated it had no information on why the Pasha's Palace was targeted. Locals reported it was hit by an airstrike and later bulldozed.
Workers are searching for 17,000 artifacts once housed at the site. Most have been crushed or looted; only about 30 have been recovered, including a Byzantine sarcophagus lid fragment and pottery jars.
International support and ongoing challenges
The work provides much-needed employment in Gaza, with local cultural groups receiving support from international NGOs. The Geneva-based Aliph Foundation has allocated $700,000 (£524,000) for emergency efforts since 2024, maintaining near-daily contact with teams on the ground.
The British Council reported that its partners are conducting new damage assessments and safety checks to determine future heritage work possibilities.
Gazan archaeologist Fadel el-Otol, currently based in Switzerland, said many sites remain inaccessible due to Israeli military presence. Key locations, including Roman cemeteries and a Byzantine church east of Jabalia camp, lie in the 53% of Gaza still under full Israeli control.
Access to the ancient Greek port of Anthedon in Gaza City is blocked by thousands of displaced people camping there. "We're unable to assess the full extent of internal damage," Otol said. "No work can currently be done."
A fragile sign of hope amid uncertainty
While Gazans remain uncertain about the future, the resumption of work at iconic heritage sites is seen as a small positive development. Washington has signaled expectations for progress on post-Hamas governance, security, and reconstruction as part of the next ceasefire stages.
