Over the past three years the BBC has produced a lot of commendable reporting on the subject of the destruction of archaeological treasures by the ISIS terror group – for example:
IS are ‘demolishing’ ancient sites in Iraq
Islamic State ‘destroys ancient Iraq statues in Mosul’
Palmyra: Islamic State’s demolition in the desert
History destroyed: The ruins of Mosul Museum
Museum of Lost Objects: The Winged Bull of Nineveh
Museum of Lost Objects: The Lion of al-Lat
The archaeological treasures IS failed to destroy
Earlier this month the destruction of another important Middle Eastern archaeological site made headlines.
“Palestinian and French archaeologists began excavating Gaza’s earliest archaeological site nearly 20 years ago, unearthing what they believe is a rare 4,500-year-old Bronze Age settlement.
But over protests that grew recently, Gaza’s Hamas rulers have systematically destroyed the work since seizing power a decade ago, allowing the flattening of this hill on the southern tip of Gaza City to make way for construction projects, and later military bases. In its newest project, Hamas-supported bulldozers are flattening the last remnants of excavation. […]
Tel Es-Sakan (hill of ash) was the largest Canaanite city between Palestine and Egypt […]
“Today the complete southern facade of the Tel is erased,” said [archaeologist] Humbert. In previous years, faces and ramparts on other sides were also destroyed. “Now it is destroyed all around,” he said. […]
In 2009 and 2012, the expansion of universities destroyed the western and northern facades of Tel El-Sakan. People displaced during three wars between Hamas and Israel set up temporary dwellings on the eastern side.
The southern front remained, but Hamas says it needs the land to compensate some of its senior employees, who have only received partial salaries from the cash-strapped group.”
Calling on UNESCO for help, local professionals and members of the public in the Gaza Strip have held protests to try to prevent the destruction.
As was the case in 2013 when Hamas bulldozed a 3,000 year old harbour in Gaza, the BBC has to date not found this particular story about a terror group destroying archaeological treasures newsworthy.
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