With the April 2nd opening of “Trésors sauvés de Gaza, 5000 ans d'histoire” (“Treasures saved from Gaza: 5,000 years of history”), an exhibit showcasing Gaza's heritage through a collection of remarkable archeological objects, France reiterates its deep concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and attacks on its cultural heritage. We once again call for all parties to comply with their obligations under the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
As UNESCO's host country, France fully supports that organization's efforts to safeguard endangered heritage and, more broadly, its work on behalf of peace and international security. It applauds the inclusion of the Monastery of Saint Hilarion/Tell Umm Amer on the List of World Heritage in Danger on July 23, 2024.
France has long partnered with the Palestinian Authority on matters of heritage and archeological excavations, particularly the site of Gaza's Monastery of Saint Hilarion. Through our Consulate general in Jerusalem, we are also working to step up bilateral French-Palestinian cooperation on combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property. We support the French School of Biblical and Archeological Research (EBAF) in Jerusalem and the Terra Sancta Museum managed by the Custody of the Holy Land.
France works through the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), which it helped establish with the United Arab Emirates in 2017, and to which it is providing €30 million in funding for the period of 2022-2027. The ALIPH Foundation has lent its support to several projects – among them, helping to train Palestinian professionals in risk management and emergency interventions and documenting three emblematic monuments with a view to their stabilization.
For more information on “Trésors sauvés de Gaza, 5000 ans d'histoire” and related events at the Institut du Monde Arabe, visit https://www.imarabe.org/fr/agenda/expositions-musee/tresors-sauves-gaza-5000-ans-histoire