The "St. Hilarion Monastery" rests on a high sandy hill northwest of the town of Al-Zuhairah in the middle of the Gaza Strip, for nearly 1,700 years, it is hundreds of meters away from the beach, but not far from the range of Israeli fire and shells that have been waging war on the Gaza Strip since October 7.

The location of this monastery makes you feel, as you stand inside it, the ancientness of time and the stillness of the place, where only the sounds of the winds and the sounds of Israeli shells and gunfire break the spiritual silence that enveloped the lives of the monks there.

The concentration of Israeli military vehicles and tanks in the "Nitzarim" axis separating northern and southern Gaza Strip is not far from the location of the "St. Hilarion" monastery, and aircraft and artillery have bombed many targets close to the site, posing a real danger to the ancient and historical monastery.

The State of Palestine succeeded on July 26 to register the "St. Hilarion Monastery" on the World Heritage List in Danger at the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Fears of its destruction
Palestinian, Nidal Awda, wanders inside the "St. Hilarion Monastery" in Al-Zuhairah, examining this ancient and heritage landmark.

Awda (44 years old), a displaced person from Gaza City, told Anadolu Agency: "We came to learn about this monastery, which is also called the Um Amer Hill, after it was listed shortly in UNESCO as a threatening global heritage site, for fear of its destruction by the occupation army."

He added: "The occupation's missiles have reached everything; historical, archaeological, and religious landmarks have not been spared in any way."

He continued: "We are a people that clings to its heritage; those without a past have no present, and this is an important truth in highlighting the identity of the Palestinian people, their being, and existence."

During his tour inside the archaeological site accompanied by several family members, Awda hopes that the heritage will remain present and not be hidden by Israel through its bombing and destruction.

According to a previous statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Gaza, the St. Hilarion Monastery, dating back to the Byzantine era, is one of the largest monasteries in Palestine in terms of area and design, and the oldest in the Middle East, consisting of 5 architectural parts.

The first part includes rooms with mosaic floors, the second is the church, the third is the dimas (an underground building in the shape of a cross), the fourth includes the baptismal pool and the hallways leading to it, and the fifth is the bath area.

Graves, pottery, and coin fragments, some dating back to the first and second Hijri centuries, were also found within the site.

On December 15, 2023, UNESCO listed the St. Hilarion Monastery on its Enhanced Protection List, amid accusations from Palestinian institutions that the destruction is "systematic against Palestinian archaeological sites."

In the circle of targeting
Ismail Thawabta, the Director General of the Government Media Office in Gaza, told Anadolu Agency that "the Israeli occupation has completely destroyed about 206 archaeological and heritage sites since the beginning of its war on the Gaza Strip, including mosques, churches, schools, and old houses."

He added: "Many heritage and archaeological centers in Gaza have sustained severe damage due to the Israeli genocide war, most notably the Omari Mosque in Jabalia (North), the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza, the St. George Church, and the St. Porphyries Church for the Orthodox Christians, and the Old City of Gaza."

Thawabta indicated that all archaeological and heritage landmarks are under the threat of Israeli destruction and targeting, including the recently listed historical "St. Hilarion" monastery on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

He continued: "This archaeological and heritage landmark will not be far from the fires and bombings of the occupation, which is not strange to it."

Thawabta explained that "the Israeli targeting and destruction of historical landmarks in the Gaza Strip is a criminal act aimed at undermining Palestinian cultural heritage, breaking the will of the Palestinian people, and cementing Israel's presence in Palestine by eliminating Palestinian landmarks."

He affirmed that "targeting historical landmarks is one of the war crimes punishable under international law, and many countries and international bodies have condemned Israel's targeting of historical landmarks in Palestine."

The Director General of the Government Media Office in Gaza condemned Israel's targeting and destruction of archaeological and heritage sites in the Strip, as well as attempts to erase the Palestinian history and geography.

Since October 7, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, resulting in more than 131,000 Palestinian martyrs and injured, most of whom are children and women, and over 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and a deadly famine.

In contempt for the international community, Tel Aviv continues the war, ignoring the United Nations Security Council resolution to stop it immediately, and the International Court of Justice's orders to take measures to prevent genocide and improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.