RESTRICTION SUMMARY: Gaza, 16 February 2022. Palestinians work at the archaeological site of Hilarion Monastery or Tell Umm al-Amer, in the central Gaza Strip.

0.1 SOUNDBITE (in Arabic) Supervisor of the archaeological site of Tell Umm al-Amer, Mohammad Abdel-Gawad
0.2 SOUNDBITE (in Arabic) Student in history and archeology, Tarek Skaik

STORYLINE:

Hilarion Monastery, one of the largest Christian monasteries in the Middle East. The earliest building dates back to the fourth century and is attributed to St. Hilarion, a native of the Gaza region and the father of Palestinian monasticism. Abandoned after a seventh-century earthquake and uncovered by local archaeologists in 1999, today aspires to be a world heritage site.

Premiere Urgence’s coordinator in Gaza, Jihad Abu Hassan, that the restoration of the church is part of the Intiqal 2030 program launched by the organization in 2017. The program aims to rehabilitate heritage sites in the Gaza Strip, notably the Saint Hilarion monastery (Tell Um Amer) and the Byzantine church of Jabaliya.

He said the Saint Hilarion Monastery in Tell Umm Amer area, in the village of Tabatha, is one of the largest monasteries in the Levant and is now on UNESCO’s World Heritage tentative list. “This site needs huge restoration and preservation efforts,” he noted.

Footage by/APAwire