The Digester

Damage to Khan Younis’s Grain Market and adjacent Barquq Castle has shuttered shops and displaced traders, while proximity to the yellow line and restrictions on materials are blocking restoration and commercial recovery.

Khan Younis’s centuries-old Grain Market and nearby Barquq Castle were heavily damaged in Israeli attacks and many shops remain closed.
The market now sits close to the demarcation known as the yellow line, which residents avoid because of the risk of gunfire.
Gaza’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities says the Grain Market is among more than 200 heritage sites damaged across Gaza since October 2023.
Many traders were killed or displaced and only a small number have returned to reopen shops and stalls.
Khan Younis officials say restoring the market requires specialist restoration and building materials, but they report that no cement has entered Gaza since the ceasefire.
Returnees say lack of basic services and ongoing security fears are preventing a broader revival of commerce in the area.

Historic Grain Market in Khan Younis left in ruins as traders struggle to return

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