By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Israeli army has targeted all national memorials and monuments throughout Palestinian cities, such as the late President Yasser Arafat statue in the West Bank and the Mavi Marmara Martyrs Memorial in the Gaza Strip along with intensified air and ground attacks in the besieged enclave since Oct. 7.
While the Israeli army has been conducting raids into Palestinian territories throughout the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Israeli bulldozers were specifically sent on a mission to demolish national memorials, with no discernible reason given for their actions.
Here are some details of these memorials that the Israeli army has demolished since Oct. 7.
- Mavi Marmara Martyrs Memorial
The Israeli army destroyed the Mavi Marmara Martyrs Memorial in Gaza city's port on Nov. 16.
The memorial was built in memory of the 10 Turkish martyrs who were killed by the Israeli army on May 10, 2010, while sailing on the Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of the besieged enclave.
Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing more than 15,000 Palestinians.
- Jenin Horse sculpture
The Israeli army also destroyed the Jenin Horse sculpture in northern occupied West Bank, during a raid on the Jenin refugee camp on Oct. 30.
The sculpture, created in collaboration with German artist Thomas Kippler in 2003, was made from scraps and pieces of cars destroyed by the Israeli army in Nov. 2002.
- Victory Arch
On the same day, the Israeli army also destroyed the entrance gate to the Jenin refugee camp known as the Victory Arch or Return Arch, which was of great significance to the Palestinian resistance groups in Jenin as well as a national symbol for the Palestinians in the camp.
The entrance gate monument was built in honor of resistance fighters killed by the Israeli army.
- Shireen Abu Akleh memorial
On Oct. 27, the Israeli army demolished the memorial to late Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, which was located near the entrance to the Jenin refugee camp, where she was killed by the Israeli forces in May last year.
The memorial was inaugurated on the first anniversary of her killing on May 11 this year.
- President Yasser Arafat statue
On Nov. 17, the Israeli army raided Tulkarem city in the northern West Bank, destroying the city's main memorial.
Israeli bulldozers razed to ground the monument to late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004 under suspension of being poisoned by Israel.
The Israeli army provided no justification for the monument demolition.
- Other monuments
Other monuments and statues were demolished by the Israeli army in West Bank cities, including the Martyrs Monument in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus.
The monument was built 20 years ago in memory of Palestinians from the camp killed by Israeli forces.
Tensions have been high in the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip since fighting between Palestinian groups and Israel began on Oct. 7.
More than 231 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli forces in the West Bank since Oct. 7, with over 2,850 others injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
While in Gaza, the Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks has soared to 14,854, the government media office in the blockaded enclave said on Thursday.
The victims include 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, while more than 36,000 people have been injured, it said.
Around 7,000 people remain unaccounted for, including more than 4,700 children, it added.
The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.
* Writing by Ahmed Asmar