1,000-year-old Hamam al-Sammara destroyed by Israeli bombing in Gaza

Video footage shared online shows Gaza’s historic Hamam al-Sammara (the bath of the Samaritans) destroyed after heavy Israeli bombing. 

The building was believed to be the only active hammam, also known as a public bathhouse, remaining in Gaza. It is located in the Zaytoun neighbourhood of the besieged enclave. 

The hammam boasted Ottoman architecture and had several rooms, each with a different temperature. It was managed by Haj Salim Abdullah al-Wazeer and the building is over 1,000 years old. 

A wall at the entrance of the building dates back to the Mamlouk era.