Translated by Naziha Baassiri | Photos by Tia Maarouf
GAZA CITY, Palestine—After the destruction of the missiles, after the destruction of building after building, people had no choice but to sift through the rubble for the remains of their lives—for what they would need to survive.
For Omar Hamad, what he needed to survive was books. While others searched through the ruins of their homes, he sought out the ruins of libraries destroyed by Israel’s bombs. With little more than a donkey cart, he searched. His mission: to prove that the written word could endure; that it would survive this genocide.
This search would grow over time into the Phoenix Library of Gaza, which has just opened its doors to the public.
Israel’s targeted destruction of libraries, cultural centers, schools and universities has been termed a scholasticide.
The Great Omari Mosque Library was bombed in December 2023, destroying all but 38 of its 230 priceless manuscripts. The Center of Culture and Light belonging to the Baptist Church in al-Rimal—where the Phoenix Library is now located—once housed some 20,000 books. The bombings of al-Aqsa University, al-Israa University, and the Islamic University destroyed an estimated total of 240,000 books and reference works.
The Edward Said Public Library in Beit Lahia, founded by Mosab Abu Toha in the aftermath of the assault in 2014 and Gaza's first English-language library, was struck in January 2025 and left in ruins.
When Omar Hamad entered he found every surface coated with dust and debris, books strewn across the floor, lying in piles underneath collapsed shelves.
He gathered them up, one by one, dusting them off, and placing them in his cart.
