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Palestinian antiquities expert Fadl Al-Utul is very concerned about the fate of thousands of antiquities collected over many years, after the Israeli occupation army took control of the warehouse in which these antiquities, dating back to different eras, are located.

Fadl spends most of his time in his tent, which he built on the seashore of the city of Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip, after he was displaced from his home in the northern Gaza Strip, as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Fadl, who is considered one of the most prominent workers in the excavation and restoration of antiquities, ran the warehouse, which receives support from the “French School of Antiquities” in Jerusalem.

But the Israeli aggression forced him to move away from the storeroom and its precious artifacts.

“Our antiquities belong to the Palestinian people”

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, he expressed his anger at the news that spoke of Israel’s control of the storeroom, and the arrival of the Deputy Head of the Israeli Antiquities Authority to Gaza, to examine it.

He said, "These antiquities are not for archaeological examination by other people, because they belong to the Palestinian people. They are real antiquities that were found during excavation, documented, sorted, and cleaned. Everything in the storeroom is fine and conforms to archaeological scientific rules."

On January 21, Director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, Eli Esquisido, posted on his Instagram account a video clip showing a team headed by his deputy examining the warehouse located in Gaza City (north).

#News


The occupation army steals antiquities from Gaza and documents the crime itself

The #occupation army documented a new war crime itself, before claiming to retract it. A team affiliated with the Antiquities Authority examined a warehouse inside the #Gaza_Strip, containing antiquities that appear to be ancient, and Director of the Antiquities Authority, Elie Esquisido, published a story showing some of what was found... pic.twitter.com/XP1jFoJH5r

— Megaphone (@megaphone_news) January 22, 2024

Escucedo deleted the clip several hours later, and wrote an explanation in which he said that he had asked the Israeli occupation army to keep the artifacts in their place.

According to the Palestinian expert, the occupation army is currently in the warehouse.

Fadl watched the video clip shown by Escocedo, and said that it belonged to the warehouse he managed.

He added, "We saw the warehouse two days ago (via photos), and we hope to see all the pieces in place after the army leaves."

He stated that the artifacts date back to periods ranging from before 3,000 years BC, to the seventh and eighth centuries AD, to the beginning of the early Islamic era.

He added, "These are important pieces because they indicate the history of Palestine. They are civilian historical artifacts, not military ones, and they do not cause danger to anyone."

Regarding how these pieces were collected, he said, “We obtained them during excavations, or by chance while working. Gaza is a historical city, and wherever we dig we find archaeological pieces.”

He pointed out that the warehouse contains many jars dating back to the Byzantine era, and its scientific name is (Gaza Jar).”

He called for the necessity of preserving the contents of the warehouse and preventing Israel from seizing it, as it “belongs to the Palestinian people and tells about their history and land.”

He called on UNESCO and institutions concerned with cultural heritage to "protect this place and all Palestinian archaeological sites from Israeli destruction."

The Palestinian expert touched on the occupation army’s destruction of many archaeological monuments in the Old City of Gaza City. Such as: “The Pasha Palace Museum, the Omari Mosque, Hammam al-Samra, and some other sites that were destroyed directly or indirectly.”

He also mentioned that there are many archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip that are now at risk of extinction due to “erosion factors” and need urgent maintenance.

"Israeli precedents in stealing antiquities"

Fadl did not rule out that Israel would steal the contents of the warehouse, given the existence of many precedents in this area.

He said, "The theft and smuggling of antiquities does not exist in Gaza, because it is a besieged and closed city, but the theft of antiquities takes place from Israel."

He added, explaining, "During the excavation of the Canaanite cemetery in Deir al-Balah (in the 1970s of the last century), coffins and artifacts were stolen, and they are still in Israel, and it is written on them that they were found in Deir al-Balah."

The occupation army's destruction of many archaeological sites in Gaza, especially the Pasha Palace Museum, which contains many artifacts, increases Fadl Al-Oul's doubts about Israel's control over the holdings of the warehouse he manages.

He added, "Everything is possible, especially since Israel destroyed the Pasha Palace Museum, which contains antiquities. Everything is possible: I will return to Gaza and find the artifacts (in storage), or I will not find them."

He continues, "God willing, I will come back and find it, and re-document it and supervise it again (...) but if it does not exist, we will take the necessary measures to protect the antiquities."

A great loss to world culture

He warned that Israel's theft or destruction of the museum's collection would constitute a great loss to global culture.

He added, "If these antiquities disappear, there is a very great loss, because we were working in a scientific and artistic way, complete with documentation and study. If they disappear, this is a great loss to the past and the present, and a great loss to culture and archaeology at the world level."

The Palestinian expert concluded his speech by calling on "all intellectuals in the world to work to protect these antiquities and spare them the scourge of conflict."

The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities had denounced the occupation army’s storming of the antiquities storehouse, and said in a statement issued at the end of last month that the storming was “a serious violation and infringement on the Palestinian heritage, and violates international agreements, such as the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the Hague Convention of 1954 regarding the protection of cultural property in the event of Armed conflict.”

The Ministry called on all international institutions and organizations to intervene immediately "to stop the aggression and protect the national heritage of Palestine, which is part of the heritage of humanity."

Source: Al Jazeera