WEST BANK (Dispatches) – The Zionist regime has destroyed 79% of the mosques in the Gaza Strip and completely demolished three churches, according to the spokesperson for the enclave’s Ministry of Endowments, as reported by Anadolu Agency.
Ikrami al-Mudallal said Zionist troops have also killed 255 clerics and imams affiliated with the ministry and detained 26 others.
“The targeting of mosques and places of worship by the occupation forces is a clear violation of all sanctities, international law, and human rights law,” he said.
The Israeli army has also targeted 32 of Gaza’s 60 cemeteries, completely destroying 14 and partially damaging 18, al-Mudallal added.
For centuries, Gaza has been a gateway between Asia and Africa, home to a diverse history of civilizations, cultures, and religions.
Since the Zionist regime launched its assault on Oct. 7, 2023, many of the enclave’s historic mosques, temples, and churches have been reduced to rubble.
Among them is the Great Omari Mosque, the largest and oldest mosque in Gaza. The 1,400-year-old mosque’s minaret was destroyed, and parts of the structure were severely damaged.
Other mosques damaged in the attacks include Sayed al-Hashim Mosque and Katib al-Wilaya Mosque.
Churches have also been targeted. Saint Porphyrius Church, the oldest church in Gaza and the third-oldest in the world, suffered damage, as did Holy Family Church.
The Ahli Baptist Church, located within the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, was also hit. An Israeli strike on the hospital and church on Oct. 17 killed about 500 people.
In another development, illegal Zionist settlers burnt a mosque northwest of Ariha city in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to a local activist.
Hasan Mleihat of the non-governmental al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, said settlers also tried to torch a tractor in the Mleihat Bedouin community in the area.
“The mosque was completely burned down, but residents managed to stop the fire on the tractor,” he added.
Illegal settlers carried out over 2,970 attacks against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank in 2024, according to Palestinian figures. At least 10 Palestinians were killed and over 14,000 olive trees damaged in these attacks.