The ancient Othman bin Qashqar Mosque, located in the old town of Gaza City, was bombed by Israeli warplanes on Thursday, causing casualties among people and damage to nearby homes, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The mosque was built in the year 620 Hijra (1220 AD), and it is one of the oldest mosques and archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip.
It is located in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, and is adjacent to the Great Al-Omari Mosque, which was also destroyed by Israeli warplanes during this aggression.
Since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, Israeli warplanes have destroyed dozens of archaeological sites and ancient buildings in a blatant deliberate attempt to target the Palestinian cultural heritage.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, the occupation warplanes bombed eight museums, including the Rafah Museum, the Al-Qarara Museum, and the Khan Yunis Museum.
Nine publishing houses and libraries were also destroyed, in addition to the complete or partial destruction of at least 21 cultural centers.
The ancient Othman bin Qashqar Mosque before and after being destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)
Most parts of the old town of Gaza City were also destroyed, including 20 historical buildings, churches, mosques, museums, and archaeological sites.
Three studios and media and artistic production companies were also damaged.
Since October 7, 16,250 Palestinians have been killed and more than 43,616 wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
