Protecting Palestinian records from Israel’s pulverisation

JVL Introduction

Palestinian archives in Gaza, with vital records, were in great danger of being destroyed by Israel in its relentless bombardment campaign – after they had been subjected to many cyber attacks too. At the same time UNRWA had been declared organisation non grata and had to operate under great restrictions to try to continue to care for Palestinians descended from Nakba victims in 1948 and 1967 who had been living under siege for nearly two decades and under intense Israeli control and periodic bombardment and worse since October 2023.

These records contained vital information about the people in Gaza that provided a path to the history of Gaza and the trauma imposed on and suffered by the people.  A miraculous 10 month long effort has succeeded against the odds.

LL

This article was originally published by The Guardian on Thu 14 May 2026. Read the original here.