Gaza officials: IOF destroyed 1k mosques, dozens of cemeteries

Posted on January 23, 2024 by uprootedpalestinians

January 22, 2024

A man retrieves a solar panel from a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike against the city of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 8, 2023. (AP)

Gaza’s Endowments Ministry reports that since October 7, more than 1,000 out of 1,200 mosques have been razed by “Israel”.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Gaza reported that Israeli forces have so far destroyed over 1,000 mosques and desecrated dozens of cemeteries in their ongoing genocidal aggression.

The Ministry reports that since October 7, more than 1,000 out of 1,200 mosques have been razed, with an estimated reconstruction cost of $500 million.

The ministry further lamented the destruction of churches, including the historic Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, Zakat religious committees, Quran-teaching schools, and the headquarters of the Islamic Endowment Bank.

The report adds that the invading IOF have killed more than 100 religious figures: scholars, preachers, imams, and Muezzins (who perform the daily call for prayers) since the beginning of the military onslaught.

Additionally, the statement detailed that the Israeli Occupation Forces’ desecration and destruction of dozens of cemeteries amounts to a violation of international laws.

During their desecration of the cemeteries, the IOF also violated bodies buried in graves, and the destruction of burial grounds was carried out in clear violation of established norms.

IOF destroys 1400-year-old al-Omari Mosque

Back in December, The al-Omari Mosque, which was built more than 1400 years ago, one of the largest and oldest mosques in Gaza, and the third-largest mosque in Palestine, was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike.

Gazans refer to al-Omari as the “Little al-Aqsa Mosque” due to its resemblance to the Holy al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds.

The al-Omari Mosque covers an area of about 4100 square meters, and its courtyard extends to 1190 square meters, with the building including about 38 marble columns adorned with artistic patterns from different eras.

IOF destroys 1600-year-old St. Porphyrius church

Back in October, the IOF also targeted the ancient Greek Orthodox church of St. Porphyrius, which was sheltering dozens of displaced families and asylum seekers.

The targeting of the church came shortly after the massacre committed in the Baptist Al-Ahli Hospital in central Gaza, killing over 500.