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Hamas Military Wing Damages Gaza Heritage Site

Hamas’ military wing sparked uproar when it bulldozed parts of a 3,000-year-old harbor to make way for a training zone, Abeer Ayyoub reports.
Fishing boats are seen at Gaza Seaport in Gaza City November 24, 2012. Israel eased restrictions on Gaza fishermen on Saturday, further implementing a three-day-old truce brokered by Egypt after a week of fierce fighting, Palestinian officials said. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3ATKD

One of the oldest civilizations in the world — with a lot of historic commercial value — the Palestinian coastal Gaza Strip is laden with ancient gems. Yet due to its unstable situation, tourism has never been a sector on which Gaza could rely. Consequently, archaeological sites are not given proper governmental support.

With national division between the Hamas-run government in Gaza and its Fatah-run counterpart in the West Bank, coordination between the two ministries of tourism barely exists.

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