GAZA — The Ministry of Religious Affairs in Gaza announced on Saturday that Israel has destroyed 79% of the mosques in the Gaza Strip during its ongoing war against Palestinians.

According to the ministry, the Israeli army has leveled 814 of Gaza’s 1,245 mosques and severely damaged another 148 during its intensified bombardment.

In addition to the mosques, three churches were destroyed, and 19 out of 60 cemeteries were deliberately targeted, the statement revealed.

The ministry estimated the financial cost of the damage to its properties at $350 million.

Furthermore, the Israeli army was accused of desecrating graves, exhuming bodies, and committing brutal acts of violence against the deceased, including stealing and mutilating remains, the ministry added.

Beyond the destruction of religious sites, 11 administrative and educational facilities under the ministry’s authority were also destroyed, accounting for 79% of such structures in Gaza.

The ministry reported that 238 of its employees were killed, and 19 others detained during ground offensives in the territory.

Condemning the attacks on Gaza's religious sites, the ministry called on the international community, including world governments and Islamic organizations, to intervene immediately to halt the "ongoing war of extermination."

Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, Israel has continued its military offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7.

Local health authorities reported that more than 41,800 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, and over 96,800 others injured. The Israeli onslaught has displaced nearly the entire population of the territory amid a blockade that has caused severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza. — Agencies