© Reuters. A flare falls over Gaza, amid the continuing battle between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, December 24, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Bassam Masoud and Dan Williams
CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Pope Francis lamented the battle within the Holy Land the place Palestinian well being officers stated airstrikes killed a minimum of 78 folks on Christmas Eve in one of many Gaza Strip’s deadliest nights in Israel’s 11-week-old battle with Hamas.
Israeli strikes that started hours earlier than midnight persevered into Christmas Day on Monday. Native residents and Palestinian media stated Israel stepped up air and floor shelling towards al-Bureij in central Gaza.
At the least 70 folks had been killed in an Israeli airstrike concentrating on Maghazi in central Gaza, well being ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra stated, including that many had been ladies and kids.
The Israeli military stated it was reviewing the report of a Maghazi incident and was dedicated to minimising hurt to civilians. Hamas denies the Israeli cost that it operates in densely populated areas or makes use of civilians as human shields.
The Palestinian Purple Crescent printed footage of the wounded being transported to hospitals. It stated Israeli warplanes had been bombing primary roads between central Gaza, hindering the passage of ambulances and emergency autos.
Medics stated a separate Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed eight Palestinians.
Clergy cancelled celebrations in Bethlehem, the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Financial institution metropolis the place custom has it that Jesus was born in a steady 2,000 years in the past.
“Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world,” Pope Francis stated, presiding at Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Palestinian Christians earlier held a Christmas vigil in Bethlehem with candle-lit hymns and prayers for peace in Gaza as a substitute of the same old celebrations.
There was no giant tree, the same old centrepiece of Bethlehem’s Christmas celebrations. Nativity collectible figurines in church buildings had been positioned amid rubble and barbed wire in solidarity with the folks of Gaza.
A DEADLY CHRISTMAS
Since a week-long truce collapsed at first of the month, preventing has solely intensified on the bottom, with battle spreading from the north of the Gaza Strip to the complete size of the densely populated enclave.
The Israeli army stated 10 of its troopers had been killed up to now day, following 5 killed the day before today, its worst two-day losses since early November.
“This is a difficult morning, after a very difficult day of fighting in Gaza,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his cupboard on Sunday. “The war is exacting a very heavy cost from us; however we have no choice (but) to continue to fight.”
In a later video message he stated troops would combat on deeper into Gaza till “total victory” over Hamas.
Israel has been underneath strain from its closest ally the USA to shift its operations right into a decrease density section and cut back civilian deaths.
On Saturday, Israel’s army chief of workers stated his forces had largely achieved operational management within the north of Gaza and would broaden operations additional within the south.
However residents say preventing has solely intensified in northern districts.
ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADER IN CAIRO ON DIPLOMATIC MISSION
Diplomatic efforts, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, on a brand new truce to free remaining hostages held by militants in Gaza have yielded little public progress, though Washington described the talks final week as “very serious.”
Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group allied to Hamas, stated a delegation led by its exiled chief Ziad al-Nakhlala was in Cairo on Sunday. His arrival adopted talks attended by Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in latest days.
The militant teams have thus far stated they won’t focus on any launch of hostages except Israel ends its battle in Gaza, whereas the Israelis say they’re prepared to debate solely a brief pause in preventing.
The delegation would reaffirm the group’s place that any alternate of hostages should safe the discharge of all Palestinians jailed in Israel, “after a ceasefire is achieved,” the official stated.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad, each sworn to Israel’s destruction, are nonetheless believed to be holding greater than 100 hostages from amongst 240 they captured throughout their Oct. 7 rampage via Israeli cities, after they killed 1,200 folks.
Since then, Israel has besieged the Gaza Strip and laid a lot of it to waste, with greater than 20,400 folks confirmed killed, in line with authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza, and 1000’s extra are believed lifeless underneath the rubble.
The overwhelming majority of the two.3 million Gazans have been pushed from their houses and the United Nations says circumstances are catastrophic.