Israel destroyed 79% of mosques, 3 churches during war on Gaza — ministry

The Ministry of Religious Affairs in Gaza has announced that Israel destroyed 79 percent of mosques in Gaza during its genocidal war against Palestinians.

The Israeli army has flattened 814 of Gaza’s 1,245 mosques and severely damaged another 148 during its intensified bombardment, the ministry revealed on Saturday.

Along with the mosques, three churches were also destroyed, and 19 of the 60 cemeteries were deliberately targeted, the statement said.

The estimated financial cost of the damage to the ministry's properties is $350 million, it added.

The ministry also accused the Israeli army of desecrating graves, exhuming bodies, and committing brutal acts of violence against those who died, such as stealing their remains and mutilating them.

In addition to the destruction of places of worship, the ministry noted that 11 administrative and educational facilities under its authority were destroyed, accounting for 79 percent of such structures in Gaza.

'War of extermination'

The ministry said that Israeli forces killed 238 of its employees and detained 19 others during ground offensives in the territory.

The ministry condemned the attacks on Gaza's religious sites and urged the international community, including world governments and Islamic organisations, to intervene immediately to halt the "ongoing war of extermination."

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza following a Hamas-led blitz last October 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

More than 41,820 people have since been killed by the Israeli forces, mostly women and children, and over 96,800 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.