Palestinian cultural heritage under systematic attack in Gaza and West Bank

A UNESCO report from May 2025 revealed that since October 7, 2023, 110 cultural sites in Palestine have suffered damage, which includes 13 religious sites, 77 notable buildings, 3 movable property deposits, 9 monuments, 1 museum, and 7 archaeological sites. In September 2025, Israeli airstrikes targeted the EBAF deposit in Gaza, leading to the destruction of thousands of artifacts. According to a World Bank estimate from February 2025, 53% of Gaza's cultural assets were impacted. An August 2025 study published in Nature indicated damage to 226 out of 316 archaeological sites. A July 2025 UN report noted that bombings accounted for 71% of the damage. Additionally, the IDF caused harm to the Roman site of Deir Sam'an. The exhibition "Saved Treasures of Gaza" is on display in Paris until November 2, 2025.