"The Geneva Museum of Art and History (MAH) played a key role in a frantic operation to evacuate thousands of artefacts from the Gaza's main archaeological storage facility on Thursday (9 September), ahead of an Israeli strike that destroyed the building. On learning of the planned strike, MAH staff scrambled to find support to delay the attack and organise an evacuation. The facility contained finds from key archaeological sites in Gaza, including the ruins of the fourth-century Saint Hilarion Monastery,"
"The exhibition Gaza at the Crossroads of Civilisations, held at Geneva's Museum of Art and History in 2007, featured more than 500 objects unearthed in the enclave. The show was intended as a precursor to a future archaeological museum in Gaza but, following Hamas's takeover in 2007 and the subsequent Israeli blockade, the artefacts could not be returned-and so they have remained in Geneva ever since."
"The EBAF storage facility, which had already been damaged by previous strikes Photo: Fadel Al Utol Blandin says that one archaeologist at MAH, Fadel Al-Utol-who had long worked for in Gaza and knew the repository in detail-was crucial to the operation, guiding the on-the-ground team on which artefacts to prioritise. The veteran French archaeologist Jean-Baptiste Humbert, who undertook excavations in Gaza for EBAF for decades, was also consulted."
MAH mobilised quickly to evacuate thousands of artefacts from Gaza's main archaeological storage ahead of an Israeli strike that later destroyed the building. Staff sought help to delay the attack and informed Swiss political authorities, the Swiss Embassy in Tel Aviv, Blue Shield International, Unesco, the Aliph Foundation, and archaeologists. The repository held finds from major Gaza sites, including the fourth-century Saint Hilarion Monastery. MAH has a nearly two-decade relationship with Gaza, having exhibited more than 500 objects in 2007; many artefacts remained in Geneva after Hamas's 2007 takeover and blockade. Local experts Fadel Al-Utol and Jean-Baptiste Humbert guided priorities.
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