The World Archaeological Congress (WAC) has issued a follow-up to its October 2023 statement in response to the deepening humanitarian catastrophe and systematic destruction of Palestinian cultural heritage in Gaza.
Building on the position reaffirmed during the Extraordinary Council Meeting of 30 April 2025, WAC expresses grave alarm at the scale, intensity, and asymmetry of the ongoing violence. While condemning all attacks on civilians and cultural heritage, WAC highlights that the Government and military of Israel have been disproportionately responsible for actions that may amount to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as assessed or under review by leading international legal institutions including the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the United Nations.
The statement also voices deep concern over declared intentions by Israeli authorities to annex Gaza—a position that, if enacted, would represent a severe breach of international law and would accelerate the erasure of Palestinian cultural identity and the loss of irreplaceable heritage.
WAC calls on all parties to cease hostilities immediately, respect international humanitarian and cultural heritage law, and protect both human life and the cultural foundations of society. As an international archaeological organization dedicated to human rights, Indigenous and heritage justice, and the ethical responsibility of scholarship, WAC will continue to advocate, observe, and act in solidarity with affected communities.
For media or academic inquiries, please contact:
Koji Mizoguchi, WAC President – mizog@scs.kyushu-u.ac.jp