Cairo/Gaza/Jerusalem (ANTARA) – Israeli air strikes since Sunday night have killed at least 78 people in Gaza, Palestinian health officials said.
The attacks, which began hours before midnight, continued until Monday, which was Christmas Day. Palestinian residents and media said Israel was stepping up air and ground attacks on al-Bureij in central Gaza.
More than 70 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting Maghazi in central Gaza, said Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra. He added that many of the victims were women and children.
Residents living in central Gaza refugee camps say they are experiencing one of the worst nights since the war began.
Israeli jets and tanks launched dozens of airstrikes against houses and streets in al-Bureij and the nearby districts of al-Nusseirat and al-Maghazi.
A number of residents even pleaded on social media for the community to provide shelter for those who became homeless after leaving their homes in Bureij.
“There are 60 people in my house, the people who came to my house believed that the central area of Gaza was safe. Now we are looking for a place to go,” said Odeh, a refugee.
The Israeli army said it was examining reports of the Maghazi incident and vowed to minimize civilian casualties.
Hamas denies Israeli accusations that it operates in densely populated areas or uses civilians as human shields.
The Palestinian Red Crescent broadcast footage of injured residents being transported to hospital. The humanitarian organization said Israeli fighter jets bombed main roads, blocking the traffic of ambulances and emergency vehicles.
Medics say an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed eight Palestinians.
Pastors canceled Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, the city in the occupied West Bank that according to Christian tradition is the place where Jesus was born in a stable 2,000 years ago.
“Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace was once again rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms, which, even today, prevents him from finding his space in the world,” Pope Francis said while presiding over the Evening Mass. Christmas at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Palestinian Christians commemorate Christmas by lighting candles in Bethlehem while singing praises and praying for peace in Gaza, instead of the usual celebrations.
There is no big tree that is the center of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem. Christmas statues in churches were placed amid rubble and barbed wire as a show of solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Sumber: Reuters
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Also read: Hamas praises limited Christmas celebrations by Palestinian Christians
2023-12-25 11:35:56
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