Volunteers, clad in surgical masks, quietly worked amid debris and sunlight filtering through the remaining windows of the Omari mosque library in Gaza City. Utilizing paint brushes, they meticulously cleaned dust off books and sorted them into different piles according to their condition. Many bookshelves were damaged, leading volunteers to carefully collect fallen books, some missing pages.
Maram Al-Sarsawi, one of the dedicated volunteers, emphasized the importance of preserving the library, along with Palestinian history and heritage, especially that of Gaza City. The Omari library fell victim to an attack in December 2023 at the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Over the course of nearly three years of conflict, Gaza’s infrastructure, including libraries, schools, and universities, suffered significant damage.
Despite the fragile ceasefire in place since January, numerous Palestinians are actively engaged in repairing the destruction wherever possible. The western section of the Omari library was ravaged in the 2023 assault, but Al-Sarsawi’s team managed to salvage 3,000 books out of the approximately 20,000 rare books and manuscripts it once housed.
Since civilians were permitted to return to Gaza City following the ceasefire, volunteers from the Eyes on Heritage Foundation have been working tirelessly to rescue these valuable books, including one dating back to the Ottoman Empire. The loss of over 87 libraries and archives in the enclave during the initial stages of the war was highlighted in a report by Librarians and Archivists with Palestine released in February 2024.
The extent of the damage is yet to be fully documented, with historical accounts indicating that 30,000 books and manuscripts were taken from Palestinian villages and towns in 1948. The destruction has been widespread, as confirmed by a UN report from February, shortly after the ceasefire was implemented. Haneen Al-Amsi, the executive director of the Eyes on Heritage Foundation, stressed the significance of saving what remains of Gaza’s history, emphasizing the Omari library’s crucial role in preserving Palestinian heritage.