Munir Anastas, the Ambassador of Palestine to UNESCO, strongly denounced Israel’s ongoing actions of stealing valuable artifacts and demolishing cultural heritage sites during its violent conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Anastas addressed the Subcommittee of the Meeting of States Parties to The 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in Paris, highlighting the destruction of numerous cultural buildings and archaeological sites in Gaza by the occupying state.
This Video was released months ago by Eli Escusido, the director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority. It shows some of the stolen archaeological artifacts
He also mentioned the theft of thousands of artifacts from Gaza museums, including the Deir al-Balah Museum, the al-Khodari Museum, the Pasha’s Palace (Qasr al-Basha) Museum, and the Shahwan Museum.
Furthermore, Anastas brought attention to the documented theft of antiquities stores belonging to the École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem (French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem) by the occupation forces.
This institution had been actively involved in archaeological work in the Strip for many years, making the theft particularly egregious.
Emphasizing that the theft of antiquities constitutes a war crime under international law, Anastas underscored the importance of upholding international agreements that prohibit the seizure of cultural property during conflicts.
He also highlighted that illicit trafficking in cultural property is explicitly deemed a crime under The UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
Anastas’s remarks shed light on the severe violations of cultural heritage that have taken place in Gaza and the urgent need to address these issues.
Anastas has urged the international community and UNESCO to diligently pursue the investigation into the stolen Palestinian cultural artifacts by the Israeli occupation army.
He emphasized the significance of safeguarding cultural heritage as a shared responsibility of humanity, and reaffirmed Palestine’s commitment to preserving its historical and cultural identity, even in the face of occupation.
