The Israeli offensive continues uninterrupted in Gaza, focusing on attacking ‘terrorist targets’, while the number of Palestinian civilians killed now exceeds 20,000. In Bethlehem, where the birth of Jesus takes place, there will be no festive events today, but rather a solemn procession mourning the deceased.
The Israeli offensive continues without interruption in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it has attacked more than 200 Hamas “terrorist targets” in the past 24 hours, including an arms warehouse in a civilian complex in the north. Moreover, he claims to have arrested more than 200 alleged members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the past week (800 since the start of the war).
In another operation in Jabalia, also in the north, aviation and artillery forces killed seven other suspected Hamas militants and destroyed four observation points, said the army, which has reported that 152 Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting in the area since it began. the enclave. of the ground offensive on October 27.
Israel, in turn, has caused the crisis with its bombings and air and ground attacks death of more than 20,200 Palestinian civiliansincluding more than 8,000 children, in addition to 56,000 people being injured and thousands missing under the rubble, the highest number of casualties left by any other conflict on Palestinian territory, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s count.
mourn christmas
Every December 24 Belen -center of the Palestinian Christian community- celebrates a traditional parade with music bands, prior to the arrival of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem on foot to celebrate mass at St. Catherine’s Church, in the Catholic part of the Church of the Nativity.
But this year, Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa – the Vatican’s religious envoy to the Holy Land – will arrive in Bethlehem on a Friday. solemn procession, without music or festive events, mourning the high number of Palestinian deaths in the war in the Gaza Strip.
The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbasstressed in a congratulatory message that he hopes Christmas will bring a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with the aim of also taking steps toward “an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
“The rivers of blood, the immense sacrifices, the difficulties and the heroic resistance of our people for their country are the path to freedom and dignity,” he said, according to WAFA news agency.
“The Palestinian people are determined to continue their struggle to realize their legitimate rights, the foremost of which is the right to an independent and fully sovereign state, where they can live with dignity in their homeland,” he added.
The Palestinian president also paid tribute to the thousands of “martyrs of Palestine,” wishing speedy recovery for the injured, freedom for prisoners and prayers for the preservation of the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem and the diaspora.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
