Israeli strike leaves Gaza's oldest mosque in ruins

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/09/ [login to see] /mosque-gaza-omari-israel-hamas-war
The Omari Mosque, Gaza's most iconic landmark and oldest mosque stretching back centuries, has been largely destroyed in an Israeli strike, Gaza City officials and eyewitnesses say.

An Israeli official, who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity to offer a preliminary assessment, confirmed the strike and said the mosque grounds contained a tunnel shaft used by militants, and that Hamas fighters from the elite Nukhba battalion had regularly used the mosque for cover.

Destroyed by earthquakes and conquests, and rebuilt many times over history, the mosque had a storied history incorporating many religious traditions. NPR visited the mosque in 2019 on a tour of Gaza's cultural landmarks with a local guide.