Aid workers in Gaza raced against time to save thousands of priceless artifacts from a warehouse slated for demolition by the Israeli military.

The building, which contained items from 25 years of excavations—including relics from a 4th-century Byzantine monastery and some of Gaza’s oldest Christian artifacts—was targeted due to alleged Hamas intelligence installations.

With fuel scarce and airstrikes imminent, workers spent hours negotiating with the military, securing trucks, and carefully loading the artifacts, the Times of Israel has reported.

Humanitarian groups emphasized the global significance of the items, noting their protection under UNESCO as part of world heritage.