By Staff, Agencies

Gaza’s ancient Omari Mosque has been bombed by “Israeli” warplanes, with the landmark being almost totally destroyed, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas said on Friday.

Images being shared on social media and identified by RT reporters in Gaza as being of the Omari Mosque showed massive damage to the building, with only its ancient stone minaret standing. The Great Omari Mosque is considered one of the most important and oldest mosques in Palestine and the first one to be constructed in the enclave.

Hamas reacted to the incident by calling it a “heinous, barbaric crime” as cited by Reuters, and urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] to protect historic buildings in Gaza.

It would not be the first time civilian infrastructure, including cultural and heritage sites, has been targeted by “Israeli” Occupations Forces [IOF] as they carry out strikes.

The “Israeli” entity waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Flood against the occupying entity in response to the “Israeli” regime’s atrocities against Palestinians.

More than 17,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and at least 46,000 others injured since the onset of the current US-backed war on Gaza.

Another place of worship, the Othman bin Qashqar Mosque in Gaza City, was hit by air raids on Thursday, Hamas said. The group also condemned the destruction of the Hammam al-Samara, a 1,000-year old Turkish-style bath in the territory.

The Palestine Ministry of Culture said “Israeli” warplanes had bombed eight museums since the beginning of the conflict, including the Rafah Museum, Al-Qarara Museum and the Khan Yunis Museum, in addition to destroying most parts of Gaza’s Old City, including dozens of historic buildings.

The “Israeli” entity has also reduced nine publishing houses and libraries to rubble and destroyed or partially damaged at least 21 cultural centers. In its latest report, the NGO Heritage for Peace found that 104 out of 195 architectural heritage sites in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.