Footage captured by Israeli soldiers and occupation drones has revealed violations against mosques in the Gaza Strip, including the burning of copies of the Holy Quran.
Images aired by Al Jazeera on Friday, August 23, 2024, showed Israeli soldiers storming the Bani Saleh Mosque in northern Gaza and setting all the Qurans inside on fire. The footage also revealed the destruction of the Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, one of the oldest mosques in the Gaza Strip.
The images suggest that Israel has targeted mosques across Gaza, either bombing or demolishing them, during its ongoing offensive that has lasted for 10 months.
Among the footage is the destruction of the Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, which was built 96 years ago, making it two decades older than the state of Israel itself.
Other images depict Israeli soldiers raiding the Bani Saleh Mosque in northern Gaza and burning all the Qurans inside.
Israeli aircraft also destroyed the historic Al-Omari Mosque in the old city of Gaza, which is considered one of the oldest mosques in the world.
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, since October 7, Israeli forces have completely destroyed 609 mosques and partially damaged 211 others.
In its declared war on places of worship, Israel has also destroyed three churches in Gaza, including St. Porphyrius Church, which is the third oldest church in the world.
The occupation has not only destroyed mosques but has also bombed them with worshippers inside, such as the massacre at the Ihyaa al-Sunnah Mosque in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood last November and the massacre at the prayer hall of the Al-Abyad Mosque in the Shati refugee camp last month.
With U.S. support, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 133,000 Palestinian casualties, most of whom are children and women, as well as more than 10,000 missing persons amidst widespread destruction and a deadly famine.
In blatant disregard for the international community, Israel continues its war, ignoring the UN Security Council’s resolution for an immediate ceasefire and the International Court of Justice’s orders to prevent acts of genocide and improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
