Mahmoud Darwish’s home in Israel’s Jadeidi-Makr village was robbed by four gunmen on Tuesday night, the police said in a statement on Friday.

The thieves were after the world-renowned Palestinian poet’s personal belongings.

At 11pm local time, the robbers raided the late poet’s home and stole numerous gifts that he had been given by prominent figures, his personal bag and $57,244, the police statement added.

“The thieves have managed to steal some of his [Darwish’s] personal souvenirs, manuscripts, a map of Palestine and his private pens and drafts,” Darwish’s brother, Ahmed, told online news website Arab48.

He added that “the robbers apparently thought that the bag contained a large amount of money, or some precious objects.”

Darwish passed away in 2008, leaving behind a legacy of iconic poetry.

He was dubbed the “Palestinian national poet” for his great, powerful poems on Palestine, its people and the Palestinian conflict, such as “To Our Land” and “In Jerusalem.”