Ongoing Israel-Palestine Conflict Continues Through Christmas
250 Palestinians Killed and 500 Injured in 24 Hours
The war between Israel and the Hamas continues even during Christmas, with 250 Palestinians losing their lives within a single day.
According to Al Jazeera on the 25th (local time), the Gaza Health Ministry, governed by Hamas, announced in a statement that “250 people died and 500 were injured within the last 24 hours.” This brings the total number of deaths to 26,674 and the injured to 54,536 since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7.
According to Al Jazeera and the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli military airstrikes destroyed the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza the previous night, resulting in at least 100 deaths.
Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry, said the number of deaths could rise as the airstrike targeted a residential area where many families lived. He added that a significant number of the victims were women and children.
Al Jazeera also conveyed the voice of a survivor from the Al-Maghazi camp who lost all his brothers and family members. “All of our family disappeared, and all five of my brothers are gone,” he said.
Airstrikes on Christmas Eve
Pope Appeals for Peace and Laments Loss of Innocent Lives
The airstrikes, which commenced just hours before Christmas, persisted until the morning of the 25th, marking what Palestinian media described as the ‘worst night’ since the commencement of the conflict. Civilian casualties occurred across the region, with eight people dying in Israeli airstrikes in Al-Bureij and Al-Nuseirat nearby and 23 people losing their lives in Khan Yunis in the south.
During the Christmas Mass, Pope Francis appealed for peace and invoked the suffering of children in wars, including those in Gaza, as “They are the little Jesuses of today.” He mourned the immense sacrifices borne by innocent civilians due to Israeli attacks and said, “To say ‘yes’ to the Prince of Peace, then, means saying ‘no’ to war — and doing so with courage — saying no to every war, to the very mindset of war, an aimless voyage, a defeat without victors, an inexcusable folly.”
Despite the civilian casualties in Palestine, Israel has maintained a firm stance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that “Unjustly blaming Israel for these casualties will only encourage Hamas and other terror organizations around the world to use human shields.”
By. Seong Jin Kwon
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