World
Representative image

Israel accepts to pay the price for its goals in Gaza

Dec 26, 2023

Tel Aviv [Israel], December 26: The Gaza Strip experienced one of its deadliest days, while fighting threatened to prolong with Israel's tough message.
The Times of Israel reported on December 25 that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked many Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip , in which ground forces targeted newly discovered enemy areas, combined with The navy shelled the coast. Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force attacked an area in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing an unidentified Hamas commander. The attacks began on Christmas eve and lasted until the next day, in the context of Israel's determination to achieve its set goals.
Israel is determined to fight
On December 25, the IDF said that 2 soldiers of this force were killed within the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of Israeli soldiers killed to 158 since the ground campaign in Gaza began on October 20.
AFP quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that the IDF is intensifying its campaign in Gaza and will continue until it achieves the goal of eliminating Hamas , rescuing hostages and ensuring that Gaza is no longer a threat to Israel. Israel. "This will be a long war until Hamas is eliminated and we restore security," he said. Speaking about the Israeli soldiers killed in the campaign, he said that the war had "a very heavy cost", and said that fighting was the only way to achieve the above goals.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the force discovered the bodies of five Israeli hostages in a tunnel in northern Gaza, but the cause of death was unknown. In addition, the Israeli side confirmed the loss of 14 soldiers since December 22, while Al Jazeera quoted Mr. Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas's Qassam Brigade, saying that Israel lost up to 48 soldiers during the period. there. "We targeted the invading forces with missiles, fortifications, anti-personnel equipment and direct clashes," according to Mr. Obeida.
"Unjustified" war
Meanwhile, health officials in Gaza said on December 25 that Israeli air strikes killed at least 78 people, one of the deadliest days of the war. Local residents and Palestinian media said Israel increased airstrikes and artillery shelling in the al-Bureij area in the central region. Gaza Strip health authority spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra said at least 70 people were killed in the airstrike in the central Maghazi region, including many women and children. The Israeli army said it was checking information about the incident in Maghazi and committed to minimizing damage to civilians. Another airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis killed eight Palestinians. The Palestinian Red Crescent showed images of injured people being taken to hospitals and said Israeli warplanes bombed main roads, blocking the passage of ambulances.
In Bethlehem in the West Bank, clerics canceled Christmas celebrations in the holy Christian city.
In his Christmas Eve message from the Vatican, Pope Francis criticized the Hamas-Israel conflict, saying that the true meaning of Christmas is peace and love. "Tonight, our hearts go out to Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace was once again rejected by an unjust war, an armed conflict that even today prevents him from finding a place in the world ", according to Pope Francis.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper