Bethlehem – Ma’an – Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Al-Hayek stressed the importance of working to limit the damage caused to archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the Israeli aggression.

Minister Hayek’s speech came during his meeting with institutions working in the field of cultural heritage in Palestine, in the presence of Undersecretary Saleh Tawafsheh and Jihad Yassin, Director General of Museums and Excavations. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in the city of Bethlehem and included the Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation, the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, the Welfare Association, and the Hebron Rehabilitation Foundation. gallery.

Al-Hayek spoke about the crisis that the tourism sector and the cultural heritage sector in Palestine are going through as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, stressing the necessity of cooperation to overcome this crisis with the least possible losses.

He stressed the
need for joint action among everyone to serve Palestine, as the process of inventorying the damage to archaeological and historical sites requires concerted efforts among everyone in order to complete the process of inventorying and documenting the damage.

He spoke about the necessity of developing a common vision and foundations for everyone to work on in order to intensify work with international donors and mobilize international support for the reconstruction of destroyed archaeological and heritage sites. Through joint work, we will succeed in rebuilding what was destroyed by the occupation, which targets everything Palestinian on this land.

Minister Hayek said: The Israeli occupation deliberately targets archaeological and historical sites in Palestine due to their great role in strengthening the Palestinian national identity and promoting sustainable development. Targeting these sites means erasing an important part of the Palestinian national identity.

The meeting discussed ways to coordinate joint
efforts to serve the cultural heritage sector in Palestine, in addition to ways to overcome obstacles to the process of inventorying the damage to the cultural heritage sector in the Gaza Strip, in addition to discussing the best ways and mechanisms to be followed to preserve historical and archaeological buildings in Palestine.

Source: Maan News Agency