A United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israeli attacks on cultural and religious sites in occupied Palestinian territory constitute war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination. The report focuses on ten specific sites in Gaza, including the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius, the Great Omari mosque, Al Mat'haf Museum, and the Pasha Palace Museum, which were destroyed, looted, or severely damaged between October and December 2023. The commission found that Israeli security forces should have known the locations and significance of these sites and that their attacks violated international law, including intentionally directing attacks against religious and historic monuments and causing excessive damage to civilian objects.
The report matters because it provides a detailed legal framework for holding Israel accountable for the destruction of Palestinian cultural heritage, which the commission argues undermines Palestinian identity and cultural practices. It also highlights the broader pattern of devastation in Gaza, where over half of all religious and cultural sites have been destroyed, and examines Israeli policies in the West Bank, including settlement expansion in UNESCO-protected areas. This investigation could influence international legal proceedings and shape global discourse on the protection of cultural property during armed conflict.