Children walk on the ruins of a mosque destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, on October 8, 2023. Fighting between Israeli forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas raged on October 8, with hundreds killed on both sides after a surprise attack on Israel prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warn they were "embarking on a long and difficult war." Photo: VCG

Some 1,100 people have been killed in Israel and Palestine following a large-scale assault by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) that started on October 7. The sudden large-scale attack has sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East and the world.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on October 8 that China is deeply concerned over the current escalation of tensions and violence between Palestine and Israel, and calls on relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation.

Chinese netizens expressed sympathy for people who are suffering in fear and crisis, calling for peace on social media. The destruction of cultural heritage in the region amid the conflict also came to people’s attention. Take the conflict in Syria for instance. It has led to the destruction of a significant amount of Syria's cultural heritage sites. Numerous ancient monuments and relic sites have been destroyed. Most of Syria's World Heritage sites, such as Palmyra, have been severely damaged. People are worried such a tragedy may repeat itself.

The region involved in the Hamas-Israel conflict has been a cradle of multiple civilizations. It has seen many of the world's oldest cultures and civilizations. From ancient Canaanite cities to Roman ruins, from Byzantine churches to Islamic mosques, every stone tells a unique ancient story. Yet photos taken over the weekend have shown various destroyed mosques and buildings amid the conflict. 

Historians and archaeologists have long expressed deep concern over the loss of these rich archaeological and architectural heritage sites in the region, which has already suffered alarming destruction and negligence.

Take the Saint Hilarion Monastery for instance, which is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in the Middle East, as well as the large Byzantine Church at Jabaliyah, have been damaged by airstrikes and the passage of tanks across its remarkable mosaic pavements in recent years. Both sites are threatened by the conflict. 

The loss of cultural heritage sites is not just a tragedy for locals but for humanity as a whole. These sites provide invaluable insight into the history of human civilization.