AhlulBayt News Agency: On Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs stated that Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza has devastated places of worship, cemeteries, religious institutions, endowment properties, and cultural heritage sites—core elements of Gaza’s social and spiritual identity.
Anwar Abu Shaweesh, Director General of the ministry, said Israeli occupation forces (IOF) violated religious sanctities and international humanitarian law, causing over $500 million in damage to religious and endowment assets.
The ministry reported that of Gaza’s 1,244 mosques, 1,160 were targeted. Among them, 909 were completely destroyed and 251 severely damaged. Additionally, three churches in Gaza City were demolished.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Abu Shaweesh explained that the destruction of mosques disrupted Friday and daily prayers, as well as Quran memorization programs. In response, the ministry, with help from Islamic organizations and global donors, established over 500 temporary prayer sites across Gaza, including in displacement camps, to preserve communal worship.
The IOF also desecrated burial grounds, targeting 40 of Gaza’s 60 cemeteries. Twenty-two were completely destroyed and 18 partially damaged. Abu Shaweesh accused Israeli forces of exhuming graves, stealing bodies of martyrs, and desecrating corpses—acts he described as barbaric and inhumane.
The destruction also affected 646 endowment properties, including factories, workshops, and businesses. Damages from these properties alone exceed $30 million.
The war has prevented Gaza’s residents from performing Hajj and Umrah for two consecutive years. Prior to the war, over 3,500 Gazans traveled annually for Hajj, and tens of thousands for Umrah.
Abu Shaweesh added that nearly 30 Islamic educational and outreach institutions—including the Islamic Da’wah College and several religious schools—were targeted, depriving thousands of students and beneficiaries of essential services.
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