An ancient Christian monastery in Gaza has received a 'danger list' from a UNESCO meeting in India
NEW DELHI: An ancient Christian monastery in Gaza was recognized as a World Heritage Site in Danger during a UNESCO meeting in New Delhi on Friday.
Founded by Saint Hilarion around 340, the monastery is part of Tell Umm Amer, an archaeological site located in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir Al-Balah governorate in Gaza.
Submitted by the Permanent Delegation of Palestine to UNESCO in 2012, its nomination was urgently processed during the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee.
Ambassador Mounir Anastas, the permanent representative of Palestine at the United Nations cultural agency, welcomed the text as a hope for the people of Gaza after the ongoing Israeli offensive, which has killed 40,000 people. minimum and destroyed most of the Palestinian infrastructure until October. .
“A message of hope for our people in Gaza who are fleeing bombs, who have no shelter, no water, no food. However, they are committed to protecting their heritage because this heritage is part of the memory and history of our people,” Anastas told Arab News on the sidelines of the UNESCO meeting.
The initiative was launched by Belgium and supported by 18 other members of the World Heritage Committee, which followed the urgent steps set by the World Heritage Convention and agreed to inscribe the building of the Saint Hilarion monastery. on World Heritage and World Heritage in Danger. list.
Under the terms of the convention, its 195 state parties — including Israel — are prohibited from directly or indirectly damaging the site and are committed to cooperating in its defense.
“When the site is included in the list of World Heritage in Danger, it means that all the state parties in the assembly are responsible for the protection and promotion of the site,” said Mounir.
“And this is another strong message from the international community to our people in Gaza, saying that the international community has not forgotten you.”
Saint Hilarion is a native of the Gaza Strip and is considered the father of Palestinian monasticism. Its ancient monastery was an important crossroads between Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Mesopotamia, and is associated with the phenomenon of monastic desert centers during the Byzantine period. It also bears witness to Christianity in Gaza.
One of the oldest monasteries in the Middle East, the complex includes two churches, a cemetery, a baptistery, a public cemetery, a meeting hall and a dining hall.
At least 207 archaeological sites and buildings of cultural and historical importance, out of a total of 320, have been destroyed or severely damaged by Israel's 10-month bombardment of the Gaza Strip. past
These include the Saint Porphyrios Orthodox Church – the third oldest church in the world – the 12th century Great Omari Mosque and the nearby medieval Old City Market Al-Qissariya, the port- Ancient Gaza City 800 BC and Late Bronze Age Philistine Cemetery, 1550 -1200 BC
The destruction of many archaeological sites was detailed in the South African case against Israel for the crime of genocide at the International Court of Justice. justice. The case argues that the mass killings and destruction of cultural heritage in Gaza demonstrate the Israeli leadership's intent to destroy the Palestinian people and their cultural identity.
