Erasing History: The Destruction of Gaza's Cultural Heritage by Israel's War Machine

On December 14, 1998, the plane of former US President Bill Clinton landed at Gaza International Airport. 

 

On that day, Clinton met with Yasser Arafat at the Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Center in the Gaza Strip, which witnessed the first legislative council at that time.

 

25 years have passed since the visit, and neither the airport nor even the cultural center remains.

 

The Israeli war machine, indiscriminate between stones and humans, decided to erase what remains of historical books and manuscripts that tell the story of civilizations and peoples who lived in the region. 

 

Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Center was not the only target; both the public library and the Central Archives building belonging to the municipality of Gaza were completely destroyed.

 

In the face of this reality, and with Israel deliberately targeting the remaining history of the region, how can this history be protected? Alongside the killing of civilians and the destruction of the enclave, Israel's war crimes extend to erasing any trace of Gaza's culture and history.