Israeli war destroys Gaza antiquities

Owners of private museums that housed thousands of antiquities continue to survey the damage and looting committed by Israeli forces in the latest conflict.
Palestinian amateur archaeologist Waleed Al-Aqqad shows his collection of ancient artefacts at his house, which he was turned into a museum, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 3, 2011. Five thousand years of fascinating history lie beneath the sands of the Gaza Strip, from blinded biblical hero Samson to British general Allenby. Picture taken April 3, 2011. To match Feature PALESTINIANS-ARCHAEOLOGY REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT) - RTR2LFVJ
Palestinian amateur archaeologist Waleed al-Aqqad shows his collection of ancient artifacts at his house, which he turned into a museum, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, April 3, 2011. - REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
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Mohammed Othman
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KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip — Gaza resident Jamal Abu Alian, 50, spent most of his life exploring and buying antiquities, filling a large part of his home with precious and rare pieces.

The small museum in al-Zanna village, bordering Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, represented the fruits of Abu Alian’s antiquity collection for over 32 years. He collected around 5,000 antiquities dating back to the Bronze, Stone, Roman, Byzantine and Modern ages.

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