Statement Issued by ICOMOS Palestine (7 November 2023)
7 November 2023
Statement Issued by ICOMOS Palestine.
In the light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Palestine, and as members of ICOMOS, we strongly condemn the recent statements made by the Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, in which a nuclear bombing of Gaza was called for.
These statements not only pose a grave threat to the lives of the people of Gaza, but also risk causing irreparable harm to the cultural heritage of the region. It is imperative that Israel is held accountable for such statements and any actions that may result from them.
It’s worth noting that it’s speculated that the weight of the bombs already dropped on the Gaza Strip since October 7th, 2023 are nearly twice that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
For 32 days, the Israeli occupation’s war on Palestinians continues, involving several types of weaponry, (some of which is potentially illegal like phosphorus bombs and cluster bombs). In Gaza alone, over 10,000 Palestinian were killed, of which around 4000 are children, 25,000 civilians were wounded, while many are still under the debris. Additionally, 1.5 million personwere displaced seeking shelter in hospitals, schools, or relatives’ homes, and streets. Furthermore, Israeli Occupation’s collective punishment left 2.1 million Gazan grappling with severe shortages of drinking water, electricity and fuel resources, sufficient food, and proper healthcare.
It’s challenging to assess the full extent of destruction due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the absence of a ceasefire. So far, the brutal aggression and continuous bombing destroyed at least 200,000 housing units, 221 schools, and nine hospitals were out of service. Moreover, there is a risk of significant damage to historical structures, monuments, and archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip, particularly in Gaza City.
We call upon the ICOMOS community, and other international cultural heritage, architectural, and archeological communities in general, to condemn these actions against humanity and its cultural heritage.
We urge you to further condemn Israel’s continued violations of international humanitarian law, and to take immediate measures to stop the indiscriminate war against civilians, and the intentional destruction of the cultural and natural heritage of Gaza.
ICOMOS Palestine urges the ICOMOS community, and other international cultural heritage, architectural, and archeological communities to act in condemning these instigating statements, and to call appropriate sanctions against Israel, in addition to boycotting Israeli cultural heritage officials, for such declarations and any potential war crimes that may arise from them.
The preservation of cultural heritage and the protection of human lives should always be our top priority. We must unite to ensure that such statements do not lead to further violence or loss of more lives of Palestinians.
Statement Issued by ICOMOS Palestine (7 November 2023)
7 November 2023
Statement Issued by ICOMOS Palestine.
In the light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Palestine, and as members of ICOMOS, we strongly condemn the recent statements made by the Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, in which a nuclear bombing of Gaza was called for.
These statements not only pose a grave threat to the lives of the people of Gaza, but also risk causing irreparable harm to the cultural heritage of the region. It is imperative that Israel is held accountable for such statements and any actions that may result from them.
It’s worth noting that it’s speculated that the weight of the bombs already dropped on the Gaza Strip since October 7th, 2023 are nearly twice that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
For 32 days, the Israeli occupation’s war on Palestinians continues, involving several types of weaponry, (some of which is potentially illegal like phosphorus bombs and cluster bombs). In Gaza alone, over 10,000 Palestinian were killed, of which around 4000 are children, 25,000 civilians were wounded, while many are still under the debris. Additionally, 1.5 million personwere displaced seeking shelter in hospitals, schools, or relatives’ homes, and streets. Furthermore, Israeli Occupation’s collective punishment left 2.1 million Gazan grappling with severe shortages of drinking water, electricity and fuel resources, sufficient food, and proper healthcare.
It’s challenging to assess the full extent of destruction due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the absence of a ceasefire. So far, the brutal aggression and continuous bombing destroyed at least 200,000 housing units, 221 schools, and nine hospitals were out of service. Moreover, there is a risk of significant damage to historical structures, monuments, and archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip, particularly in Gaza City.
We call upon the ICOMOS community, and other international cultural heritage, architectural, and archeological communities in general, to condemn these actions against humanity and its cultural heritage.
We urge you to further condemn Israel’s continued violations of international humanitarian law, and to take immediate measures to stop the indiscriminate war against civilians, and the intentional destruction of the cultural and natural heritage of Gaza.
ICOMOS Palestine urges the ICOMOS community, and other international cultural heritage, architectural, and archeological communities to act in condemning these instigating statements, and to call appropriate sanctions against Israel, in addition to boycotting Israeli cultural heritage officials, for such declarations and any potential war crimes that may arise from them.
The preservation of cultural heritage and the protection of human lives should always be our top priority. We must unite to ensure that such statements do not lead to further violence or loss of more lives of Palestinians.