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.

Abu Alian told Al-Monitor that after the Israeli occupation declared al-Zanna a closed military region and forced its residents to evacuate the area, Israeli soldiers invaded his home and private museum, destroying and stealing antiquities. “They completely destroyed around 70% of the collection, partially destroyed 20% and stole 10% — the rarest and most valuable pieces in my museum, including three statues,” he said.

With great regret, Abu Alian said that his passion and devotion for collecting antiquities was destroyed by the occupation forces. He asked for help from international and Arab institutions, as well as the Palestinian government, to preserve what he has left and retrieve what was stolen.