The Israeli military stated Wednesday that it struck a mosque in the Gaza Strip, alleging it was utilized by Hamas for weapons storage.
Images from Gaza City on Tuesday depicted flames and a substantial column of smoke emanating from the Al-Muttaqin Mosque, which houses displaced Palestinians. In the attack's aftermath, Palestinians were observed sifting through extensive debris.
The military issued a statement saying, "Over the past week, the (Israeli military) struck and dismantled several Hamas weapons storage facilities in the central and northern Gaza Strip. One of the storage facilities had been established inside a mosque in the northern Gaza Strip," adding that civilians had received advance warnings.
Despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, violence persists in Gaza. An eyewitness, Shehadeh Badawi, described continuous attacks to AFP, stating, "Is this a ceasefire? Every day there are attacks, every hour, every breath. There are attacks everywhere. They threaten and strike, whether it's civilian vehicles or anything else they bomb."
Amir Abu Al-Amrain, director general of the ministry of awqaf and religious affairs in Gaza, reported that Israeli forces had "completely destroyed" the mosque. He accused Israel of using "false pretexts—such as the alleged presence of military sites—to justify these crimes" and called for urgent intervention to protect religious sites.
As of March 24, 2026, UNESCO has verified damage to 164 sites in Gaza since the conflict began, with 14 of these being religious locations.
