Gazans salvage ancient books in mosque library damaged by war

Displaced Palestinians gather for their fast-breaking Iftar meal amid the rubble of destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip, during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. Photo: AFP

Inside the dusty shell of one of the oldest libraries in the Palestinian territories, a group of Gazan volunteers work diligently to salvage what remains of their ancient cultural heritage.

The Great Omari Mosque library sustained terrible damaged during the war in Gaza, which erupted in October 2023 and devastated swathes of the Palestinian territory, including cultural and religious sites.