The shelters near Gaza that became scenes of desperate fighting, hiding and heroism during the October 7 massacre will receive special preservation protection, following an unprecedented declaration by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu on Wednesday.

The minister designated the structures as “antiquities” and national heritage sites, requiring explicit approval before they can be removed, repainted, plastered over or otherwise physically altered.

Any such work must now be coordinated with preservation professionals from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Heritage Ministry.

The decision followed appeals from dozens of bereaved families and former hostages, along with preparatory work by ministry officials. Among the structures included is the shelter associated with Aner Shapira.

The Heritage Ministry said the measure aims to prevent cleanup efforts from erasing evidence left in shelters that came under fire during the massacre. The structures will be preserved as testimony to the atrocities and as places of remembrance.

According to the ministry, the designation relies on a special provision in the Antiquities Law. Although the law generally protects objects and structures dating from before 1700, Section 1 allows the responsible minister to designate a later property as an antiquity when it holds exceptional national historical significance.

The ministry stressed that the declaration does not change ownership or transfer the shelters to the state. Existing ownership remains intact, while physical changes become subject to preservation restrictions.

“The events of October 7 seared a deep wound into our flesh, but also revealed strength of spirit, heroism and mutual responsibility that will be remembered for generations,” Eliyahu said.

“Amid the inferno, the shelters scattered throughout the Gaza border region became scenes of a struggle for survival, bloodshed and immeasurable heroism,” he continued.

“Our obligation to future generations is to ensure that the stories of heroism and loss are told from the sites themselves, and do not disappear under bureaucratic considerations or a hurried desire to ‘clean up the area.’”

The directive has been sent to regional council leaders near Gaza, the deputy director of the Israel Antiquities Authority and officials responsible for work at the sites.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)