Published December 23,2023
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A Palestinian priest mentioned that it is going to be a “very sad” Christmas this yr, as 3% of the Christian group within the Gaza Strip has been killed within the ongoing Israeli assaults on the besieged Palestinian enclave since Oct. 7.
In an interview with the web site Democracy Now, Mitri Raheb, the president of Dar al-Kalima University, mentioned: “I don’t think in my entire life I experienced so much sadness, but also so much anger about what’s happening in Gaza.”
“I fear that this is the end of the Christian presence in Gaza. And, you know, the Christian presence in Gaza is a 2,000-years-old presence,” he added.
Raheb famous that Christmas festivities have been canceled in Bethlehem.
“You don’t have Christmas lights. you don’t have (a) Christmas tree in Bethlehem. There are no tourists coming because of the war,” he mentioned.
“Here in the West Bank, we are experiencing apartheid colonization by Jewish settlers,” Raheb added.
“I find it really a shame that in this season, where every church hears these words, ‘peace on Earth,’ that the United States is vetoing even a cease-fire. It’s a shame,” he mentioned.
He famous that greater than 8,000 youngsters have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip because the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas, killing not less than 20,057 Palestinians, principally ladies and youngsters, and injuring 53,320 others, in response to well being authorities within the besieged enclave.
The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins with half of the coastal territory’s housing inventory broken or destroyed, and practically 2 million folks displaced inside the densely-populated enclave amid shortages of meals and clear water.
Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed within the Hamas assault, whereas greater than 130 hostages stay in captivity.
Source: www.anews.com.tr