Overview

• France’s French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem said it moved artefacts out of its Gaza City storehouse after receiving an evacuation order tied to a planned Israeli strike.
• Director Olivier Poquillon called it a high-risk, last-minute rescue carried out in secrecy with improvised transport, labor, and logistics to avoid endangering lives.
• The team removed most of roughly 180 cubic metres of material spanning Gaza’s five main archaeological sites, including objects linked to the fourth-century Saint Hilarion monastery.
• Several sources credited France, UNESCO, and the Latin Patriarchate with securing a brief reprieve for the removal, while the Israeli army did not confirm issuing the warning.
• Researchers said many pieces were damaged or lost but had been documented through photographs and drawings, as UNESCO reports 94 heritage sites hit and Gaza’s museums lie destroyed or heavily damaged.