The whereabouts of a bronze statue of the Greek god Apollo seized by Hamas militants last summer is still unknown, Haaretz reports.
The 2,500-year-old, life-sized statue was discovered by a fisherman near the Egyptian-Gaza border, Haaretz reports. It was briefly listed on eBay for a price of $500,000 before being confiscated by Hamas authorities.
Officials at the Louvre denied press reports that the Paris museum will restore the statue.
Ahmed al-Borsh, director of Gaza's Antiquities Department, told NPR that the terrorist group wanted to establish "direct connections" with institutions interested in restoring the statue:
"Direct connections" is the key phrase for Hamas. Considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, Hamas hopes that international interest in preserving the statue could crack open the door of isolation."
"If it's not restored in the right way, it will be destroyed," said Borsh. "I don't think they will find another Apollo."
This week the Louvre took itself out of the running as a potential restorer, according to the Art Newspaper website. The museum has not asked to borrow the work, a spokesperson said, and "we will file a request with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if we wish to proceed."