Gaza’s shattered landmarks

STORY: :: Amir Shurrab, MidadThis is a tourist map of Gaza City from 2011. It was published by Palestinian software company Midad, highlighting some of the sights of interest. Dozens of restaurants, beach hotels, 80 mosques, two churches and a 13th century palace. Now many of these landmarks lie in ruins... Since Israel’s assault on the enclave in response to Hamas attacks in October 2023. And eighteen months of widespread destruction since then. “We are not afraid, we are terrified of what is happening. We want the war to end. We demand an immediate end to the war.” Gaza was a major port in antiquity but became a backwater of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. In 1917, it came under British control. :: 1936"...on favoring the establishment of a national home for Jews, forgot intentionally to safeguard the civil rights of the non-Jewish population."After Egypt took control in the late 1940s, its beaches and cheap shops made it a popular holiday destination for Egyptian tourists. But it also became the landing point for refugees driven from their homes in other parts of pre-1948 Palestine. Israel seized control in 1967. Despite decades of war, a few landmarks survived - until the hostilities of the past year and a half. These are some of those landmarks - before and after October 7th. :: Gaza City's fishing harbor Gaza City’s modern harbor was the strip’s main fishing port and a source of income for tens of thousands of people, including for hotels and restaurants. It was a place where families could gather to eat seafood and watch the sun set on the Mediterranean. Israel attacked the port in the first weeks of the latest hostilities. It said Hamas used the harbor as a training facility for seaborne militants to attack Israeli coastal targets, and that it found militant tunnels there. Hamas never confirmed this. Amid widespread hunger, fishermen say they have been desperately casting nets from the shore, hoping to catch enough for their families to eat. :: Great Omari Mosque The Great Omari Mosque in Gaza City is the oldest in the enclave. It occupies a site in the Old Town that has held religious significance for thousands of years. The Romans built a temple there, and early Christians a church. A mosque was first built in the seventh century after Gaza was conquered by Omar Ibn al-Khattab, the Muslim ruler after whom the mosque is named. The structure was heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes in December 2023 - Israel’s military said it hit a “tunnel shaft and terror tunnel.” It has accused Hamas of building tunnels beneath civilian structures and using civilians as human shields. Half the medieval minaret and some walls survived, and worshippers have continued to pray on its grounds. :: Palestine Stadium The Palestine soccer stadium in Gaza City is one of the largest in the strip, where the sport is hugely popular. Palestine fields an international men’s soccer team, but players from Gaza have long had problems getting through border checkpoints to play abroad. The stadium used to host matches between local clubs and was a training ground for other athletes. Its playing field is now crowded with humanitarian tents as temporary shelters for displaced families. :: Al Qaisariyya Market Next to the Omari Mosque sits the Al Qaisariyya Market. The covered markets of the Old Town were once the economic heart of Gaza City. In peaceful times, brides would come here to buy jewelry. In harder times, desperate families would instead sell their gold to survive. Israel has blamed Hamas for the damage to the historic market and adjoining Omari mosque. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said the accusations were false, and were made “to justify the war crimes of destroying centuries-old tourist places”.Palestinians have already begun documenting the damage and trying to clear debris. But rebuilding cannot start in earnest until the fighting stops. Israel announced in April it intends to seize “large areas” of the blockaded territory as part of an Israeli-controlled security zone. It says it aims to drive Hamas from power and free the hostages still held by the militant group. U.S. President Donald Trump wants to redevelop Gaza as a "Riviera of the Middle East", cleared of Palestinians, once the current conflict is over. Arab countries though have rejected Trump's vision - proposing an alternative rebuilding plan. Though who will run Gaza and who will pay for reconstruction remain unanswered questions.

STORY: :: Amir Shurrab, Midad This is a tourist map of Gaza City from 2011. It was published by Palestinian software company Midad, highlighting some of the sights of interest. Dozens of restaurants, beach hotels, 80 mosques, two churches and a 13th century palace.

Now many of these landmarks lie in ruins...

Since Israel’s assault on the enclave in response to Hamas attacks in October 2023. And eighteen months of widespread destruction since then. “We are not afraid, we are terrified of what is happening.

We want the war to end. We demand an immediate end to the war.” Gaza was a major port in antiquity but became a backwater of the Ottoman Empire for centuries.

In 1917, it came under British control. :: 1936 "..

.on favoring the establishment of a national home for Jews, forgot intentionally to safeguard the civil rights of the non-Jewish population." After Egypt took control in the late 1940s, its beaches and cheap shops made it a popular holiday destination for Egyptian tourists.

But it also became the landing point for refugees driven from their homes in other parts of pre-1948 Palestine. Israel seized control in 1967. Despite decades of war, a few landmarks survived - until the hostilities of the past year and a half.

These are some of those landmarks - before and after October 7th. :: Gaza City's fishing harbor Gaza City’s modern harbor was the strip’s main fishing port and a source of income for tens of thousands of people, including for hotels and restaurants. It was a place where families could gather to eat seafood and watch the sun set on the Mediterranean.

Israel attacked the port in the first weeks of the latest hostilities. It said Hamas used the harbor as a training facility for seaborne militants to attack Israeli coastal targets, and that it found militant tunnels there. Hamas never confirmed this.

Amid widespread hunger, fishermen say they have been desperately casting nets from the shore, hoping to catch enough for their families to eat. :: Great Omari Mosque The Great Omari Mosque in Gaza City is the oldest in the enclave. It occupies a site in the Old Town that has held religious significance for thousands of years.

The Romans built a temple there, and early Christians a church. A mosque was first built in the seventh century after Gaza was conquered by Omar Ibn al-Khattab, the Muslim ruler after whom the mosque is named. The structure was heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes in December 2023 - Israel’s military said it hit a “tunnel shaft and terror tunnel.

” It has accused Hamas of building tunnels beneath civilian structures and using civilians as human shields. Half the medieval minaret and some walls survived, and worshippers have continued to pray on its grounds. :: Palestine Stadium The Palestine soccer stadium in Gaza City is one of the largest in the strip, where the sport is hugely popular.

Palestine fields an international men’s soccer team, but players from Gaza have long had problems getting through border checkpoints to play abroad. The stadium used to host matches between local clubs and was a training ground for other athletes. Its playing field is now crowded with humanitarian tents as temporary shelters for displaced families.

:: Al Qaisariyya Market Next to the Omari Mosque sits the Al Qaisariyya Market. The covered markets of the Old Town were once the economic heart of Gaza City. In peaceful times, brides would come here to buy jewelry.

In harder times, desperate families would instead sell their gold to survive. Israel has blamed Hamas for the damage to the historic market and adjoining Omari mosque. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said the accusations were false, and were made “to justify the war crimes of destroying centuries-old tourist places”.

Palestinians have already begun documenting the damage and trying to clear debris. But rebuilding cannot start in earnest until the fighting stops. Israel announced in April it intends to seize “large areas” of the blockaded territory as part of an Israeli-controlled security zone.

It says it aims to drive Hamas from power and free the hostages still held by the militant group. U.S.

President Donald Trump wants to redevelop Gaza as a "Riviera of the Middle East", cleared of Palestinians, once the current conflict is over. Arab countries though have rejected Trump's vision - proposing an alternative rebuilding plan. Though who will run Gaza and who will pay for reconstruction remain unanswered questions.

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