Kareem Al-Khoudari, a student at the Islamic University of Gaza, said the effort began after he and a friend visited the mosque following Friday prayers and found thousands of rare books and manuscripts, including copies of the Qur’an, scattered, burned and covered in rubble and dust.
Working with limited resources and basic tools, the students and volunteers removed rubble, cleaned surviving books and attempted to preserve what remained of the collection. Despite ongoing insecurity, including nearby bombardment and drone activity, the volunteers continued their work, describing the effort as both a cultural and moral responsibility.
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