The Israeli invasion of Gaza, which began as a result of the Israel-Hamas War on 7 October 2023, has resulted in significant destruction and damage to numerous religious sites including mosques and churches.[1][2][3]
On 19 October 2023, an Israeli airstrike hit the Church of Saint Porphyrius, where 500 people were sheltering.[4] On 8 November 2023, Israel bombed and destroyed the Khalid bin al-Walid Mosque.[5] By 13 November 2023, at least sixty mosques had been destroyed by Israeli bombs.[6] In December 2023, an Israeli bombing destroyed the Great Mosque of Gaza.[7] At least seven people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Rafah mosque full of displaced people on 23 February 2024.[8] Five people were killed in a mosque in northern Gaza that was bombed without warning.[9] The al-Riad mosque in Khan Younis was heavily damaged by an Israeli bombing on 9 March 2024.[10] On 24 August 2024, Israeli forces attacked and destroyed a 96-year-old historic Bani Saleh Mosque in Khan Yunis, where they also insulted the Quran and then set it on fire.[11][12]
By 10 March 2024, more than 1,000 mosques had been destroyed by Israeli attacks.[13] In May 2024, an Israeli bombing on a mosque in Gaza City reportedly killed at least 10 people.[14]
- ^ "Israel-Gaza war: Counting the destruction of religious sites". BBC News. 30 January 2024.
- ^ "Claim 22: Israel damages Palestinian holy sites Archives".
- ^ "Bombardment of the Houses of Worship by the Israeli Occupation an Extension to Attacking These Places by the Terrorism and Extremism Forces | Human Rights and Democracy Media Centers SHAMS".
- ^ AbdulKarim, Fatima; Deng, Chao. "Blast Goes Off at Orthodox Church Campus in Gaza". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "People Sift Through Rubble After Strike on Mosque in Khan Yunis". Yahoo! News. 8 November 2023. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "At least 60 mosques 'destroyed' in Israel's Gaza airstrikes". The Times of India. 13 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Estrin, Daniel (9 December 2023). "Israeli strike leaves Gaza's oldest mosque in ruins". NPR. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Yazbek, Hiba; Fuller, Thomas (23 February 2024). "Israel Steps Up Attacks in Gaza Amid Cease-Fire Talks". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "At least five killed in Israeli bombing of mosque in north Gaza". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ "Israel targets mosque in Gaza's Khan Younis". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ "Hamas urges condemnation over Quran burning by Israeli soldiers".
- ^ "جريدة القدس".
- ^ "Palestinians pray in reduced spaces as more than 1,000 mosques destroyed by Israel". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "Israeli forces kill 10 Palestinians in attack on mosque in Gaza City". MSN. Archived from the original on 28 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.