<p>Construction workers at a building site in northern Gaza have uncovered 31 Roman-era tombs dating from the first century AD, the Palestinian territory's Islamist rulers Hamas said Monday.</p>.<p>The tombs were discovered near the town of Beit Lahia as work began on an Egyptian-funded residential area, part of the $500 million reconstruction package Cairo pledged after the 11-day war in May between Israel and armed groups in the Gaza Strip.</p>.<p>Naji Sarhan, an official at Gaza's Ministry of Public Works, confirmed the find and said there is "evidence that there are other graves" at the site.</p>.<p>Construction work has been halted and technicians from Gaza's Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism have been sent to the site to catalogue gravestones and artefacts, officials said.</p>.<p>One technician, who requested anonymity, said the tombs were believed to be part of a cemetery linked to a nearby Roman site in Balakhiya.</p>.<p>The find was the latest in Gaza, where tourism to archaeological sites is limited due to an Israeli blockade imposed since Hamas took over the strip in 2007.</p>.<p>Israel and Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, tightly restrict the flow of people in and out of the impoverished strip, which is home to about 2.3 million Palestinians.</p>.<p>Last month, Hamas reopened the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine church following a years-long restoration effort backed by foreign donors.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>Construction workers at a building site in northern Gaza have uncovered 31 Roman-era tombs dating from the first century AD, the Palestinian territory's Islamist rulers Hamas said Monday.</p>.<p>The tombs were discovered near the town of Beit Lahia as work began on an Egyptian-funded residential area, part of the $500 million reconstruction package Cairo pledged after the 11-day war in May between Israel and armed groups in the Gaza Strip.</p>.<p>Naji Sarhan, an official at Gaza's Ministry of Public Works, confirmed the find and said there is "evidence that there are other graves" at the site.</p>.<p>Construction work has been halted and technicians from Gaza's Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism have been sent to the site to catalogue gravestones and artefacts, officials said.</p>.<p>One technician, who requested anonymity, said the tombs were believed to be part of a cemetery linked to a nearby Roman site in Balakhiya.</p>.<p>The find was the latest in Gaza, where tourism to archaeological sites is limited due to an Israeli blockade imposed since Hamas took over the strip in 2007.</p>.<p>Israel and Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, tightly restrict the flow of people in and out of the impoverished strip, which is home to about 2.3 million Palestinians.</p>.<p>Last month, Hamas reopened the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine church following a years-long restoration effort backed by foreign donors.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>