The Spanish NGO Heritage for Peace has published a report on the impact of recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza’s cultural heritage. The report, released on November 7th, claims that over 100 cultural heritage landmarks have been damaged or destroyed as of publishing. Reports of subsequent damage since November 7th are not yet available.

The Heritage for Peace report lists 104 pieces of built heritage impacted by the latest war, of which 4 have been completely destroyed, 11 have been partially destroyed by direct shelling, and 89 have been partially destroyed by indirect shelling. The list of sites spans mosques, churches, archaeological sites, historical houses, shrines, cemeteries, and museums.

Among the sites completely destroyed by direct shelling is the Omari Mosque, described by NPR as “one of the most important and ancient mosques in historical Palestine.” Meanwhile, the Church of Saint Porphyrius was partially destroyed, described by NPR as “the third oldest church in the entire world.”

“Israel says it is pursuing Hamas in an effort to destroy it and to rescue hostages,” NPR adds. “It accuses Hamas of operating out of civilian areas, including hospitals and mosques.”

Israel’s latest military actions in Gaza came after Hamas launched a major attack on Israel on October 7th, killing over 1,200 people and taking a further 240 people hostage. In the almost two months since the Hamas attack, Israel’s military response, which has included airstrikes, a ground invasion, and a siege on Gaza, has killed more than 15,000 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

In addition to the Heritage for Peace report, a separate investigation commissioned by the BBC has found that “nearly 98,000 buildings may have suffered damage” in Gaza. The World Health Organization now notes that “about 1.9 million people, nearly 80% of Gaza’s population, are estimated to be internally displaced.”

The analyses by Heritage for Peace, the BBC, and the World Health Organization all came before Israel prepared to extend its ground offensive to southern Gaza, where it had previously ordered Gaza’s civilian population to evacuate to from northern Gaza.

“It is understandable that amid the horrors carried out over the past 50-plus days, preserving objects and buildings might not be seen as important as protecting innocent life,” columnist Karen Attiah wrote in an opinion piece for The Washington Post on December 1st. “But the preservation of culture and history is part and parcel of protecting a people and their spirit. If Israel continues to destroy Gaza’s cultural heritage with impunity, all of humanity loses.”