Unesco verifies damage to 43 cultural heritage sites in Gaza

In addition to the enormous human cost of the Israel-Gaza war, cultural heritage has been heavily impacted by the conflict.

At least 43 cultural heritage sites in Gaza have been damaged since the war began on 7 October 2023, Unesco has verified.

Although on-the-ground assessments are currently impossible, the UN agency is conducting preliminary damage assessments for cultural properties through remote monitoring based on satellite imagery and analysis.

As of 8 April 2024, Unesco has verified damage to 43 sites – 10 religious sites, 24 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, two depositories of movable cultural property, three monuments, one museum and three archaeological sites.

This is almost double the number of damaged sites listed by the agency in January 2024, which stood at 22.

Unesco has called for the protection of cultural sites and for all involved parties to strictly adhere to international law.

In a recent statement, it said: “Unesco expresses deep concern about the impact of the ongoing conflict on cultural heritage, particularly in the Gaza Strip. While acknowledging the priority given to the humanitarian situation, Unesco emphasises the importance of considering the protection of cultural heritage.

“The organisation urges all involved parties to strictly adhere to international law, emphasising that cultural property should not be targeted or used for military purposes, as it is considered civilian infrastructure.”

The number of damaged or destroyed cultural buildings and sites is likely to be higher than the verified figure. In recent weeks, the Shababeek Center for Contemporary Art was reportedly destroyed during Israel’s siege on Al-Shifa Hospital.

UK protests

Meanwhile, boycotts and protests are continuing at cultural institutions in the UK in response to the sector’s handling of the conflict and accusations that pro-Palestinian voices are being censored.

Earlier this month, the Manchester arts centre and theatre complex, Home, rowed back on a decision to cancel the production, Voices of Resilience: A Celebration of Gazan Writing, featuring readings of work by Refaat Alareer, Hiba Abu Nada and others who have lost their lives in the current conflict.

The venue initially cancelled the event after the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester (JRCGM) objected that it was not politically neutral, and that it was set to stage a reading of Don’t Look Left, a diary of the war by Atef Abu Saif, the Palestinian Authority’s culture minister, who has been accused of antisemitism and Holocaust denial, which the writer and his publisher have strongly denied.

The production was reinstated after around 100 protesters occupied the building and artists removed their works from display in the venue. The event was due to go ahead on 22 April.

The venue said: “The initial cancellation of the Voices of Resilience event was a difficult decision for HOME. We recognise how deeply this decision has affected communities and groups across Manchester and beyond, and we apologise for any distress or upset caused.

"We support Palestinian and all community voices, and acknowledge that we can learn from how this was handled. We regret that this has had such wide-reaching impacts...

The venue said it recognised "that there is work to be done now" and was "committed to continuing these conversations with all affected by recent events".

"We stand with all innocent victims of this conflict, and call for a humanitarian solution,” it added.

Last month a “guerilla festival” of Palestinian arts and culture by the group Culture Workers against Genocide occupied the Barbican arts centre in London, following its decision to cancel a talk by the author Pankaj Mishra entitled The Shoah After Gaza. A number of lenders and artists have also removed their works from the Barbican’s current Unravel exhibition in protest.

And protesters from Energy Embargo for Palestine also forced the British Museum to close early recently. The group was objecting to the museum’s new £50m partnership with BP, which is engaged in gas exploration off the coast of Israel.

The Museums Association is producing resources to support the sector in its response to the conflict, including updating its campaign on anti-racism to take into account antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry.