In the past six months of conflict in Gaza, the Israeli military has caused significant destruction to the region's cultural heritage, obliterating about 60 percent of its sites and monuments. This includes the ancient Bronze Age settlement of Tell el-‘Ajjul, the nearly 1,700-year-old St. Hilarion monastery, and the historic Pasha’s Palace. Although cultural destruction is sadly inevitable in conflicts, Palestinian and civil rights organizations assert that this destruction is intentional.  According to Salah Al-Houdalieh, an archaeologist residing in the West Bank and serving as the secretary general of the International Council on Monuments and Sites–Palestine, the current rate of cultural loss in Palestine is unparalleled. He claims in an article published on Sapiens that historical landmarks and artifacts are even being ‘systematically demolished’.  Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesAsiaRead Later