Aid teams, church leaders, and Israeli liaisons coordinate a rare cultural rescue amid combat claims against Hamas

With minutes to spare and an airstrike pending, humanitarian workers evacuated thousands of archaeological artifacts from a Gaza City high-rise after nine hours of talks with the Israeli military. The cache, curated over decades and including items from the 4th-century Saint Hilarion Monastery, was moved from an EBAF-managed warehouse that Israel said housed Hamas intelligence assets. The operation, coordinated by Première Urgence Internationale and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, reflects a narrow path between wartime imperatives and the protection of world heritage.

Security imperatives and cultural stakes

Israel’s COGAT notified aid groups of the planned demolition through a deconfliction system used to flag sensitive sites. Negotiators sought a delay while scouring a war-shattered city for trucks, ultimately loading open flatbeds in line with Israeli restrictions that bar closed containers. The Israel Defense Forces insist such measures are vital to degrade Hamas and prevent dual-use exploitation. For heritage stewards, the message is clear: cultural salvage can proceed, but only if it is tightly coordinated with security requirements that remain Israel’s priority.

A coalition of the willing

The rescue drew on a pragmatic network of Western and local institutions. PUI, active in Gaza since 2009, provided security and logistics, while the Latin Patriarchate helped secure transport to an undisclosed location. EBAF, renowned for its role in the Dead Sea Scrolls era, had overseen roughly 80 square meters of stored material in the Al-Kawthar building. The partnership offers a workable blueprint: with disciplined liaison between Israeli authorities and trusted cultural actors, the region can safeguard pluralistic heritage without undermining counterterror operations.

Fragile cargo, imperfect transit

Packing that would normally take weeks was completed in hours, and some artifacts broke en route. The collection now sits outdoors, vulnerable to weather and renewed strikes. UNESCO reports at least 110 cultural sites damaged across Gaza since October 2023, including churches, mosques, historic buildings, and archaeological areas. Preserving early Christian testimony in Gaza is more than symbolism. It anchors future reconciliation, supports religious freedom, and maintains a historical record that extremists on all sides would otherwise erode.

What comes next

Policy needs are immediate: protected cultural corridors, a vetted joint inventory under international supervision, and a conservation fund backed by Western partners and regional stakeholders. Any plan must also deter combatants from using civilian or cultural infrastructure, a tactic Israel cites in this case. Balancing battlefield necessity with custodianship of shared heritage serves long-term stability and the interests of responsible states. It is where security cooperation, allied support, and respect for history align.