Israel pounded Gaza on Monday, exacerbating the dire conditions for civilians with no end in sight to the war Hamas says has killed more than 20,000 people in the Palestinian territory.
Christmas festivities in Bethlehem, the revered birthplace of Jesus Christ in the occupied West Bank, were effectively scrapped amid the conflict, leaving the usually vibrant streets with only a handful of worshippers and tourists.
The war erupted when Hamas militants broke through Gaza’s militarised border and attacked southern Israeli communities on October 7, killing about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Israel vowed to crush Hamas and launched a retaliatory military campaign in Gaza, including extensive aerial bombardment, that has killed at least 20,424 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian territory’s…
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