Israel destroys Yasser Arafat's residence in Gaza

The Palestinian Culture Ministry says Israel has demolished the residence of former head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Afarat in the besieged Gaza Strip in another “evidence of its brutality.”

“The occupation's targeting and destruction of the residence of the martyr and founding leader Yasser Arafat in Gaza is a continuation of its relentless assault,” Culture Minister Atef Abu Saif said in a press release on Thursday.

He noted that the Israeli attack was aimed at removing “the symbols of dignity and the struggle of our people.”

The minister noted that the house, where Arafat resided from 1995 to 2001, “holds the personal and family belongings of the eternal leader and has witnessed numerous significant moments in our people's history during his presence in Gaza at the inception of the Palestinian Authority.”

Abu Saif stressed that the Israeli regime’s acts of demolition serve as “further evidence of its brutality.”

“The assault on Palestinian cultural heritage during the ongoing war on Gaza, including historical structures, mosques, churches, cultural centers, heritage sites, museums, libraries, publishing houses, and universities, is consistent with the occupation's destructive values and policies,” he added

SS