No festive mood in Bethlehem: 'If Jesus was born today, he would be in Gaza amid the ruins'

No festive mood in Bethlehem: 'If Jesus was born today, he would be in Gaza amid the ruins'

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In Bethlehem the bells will ring midnight in the Church of the Nativity, Holy Night, but this year there will be no tree, no parades, no joyful music

"If Jesus was born today, he would be born in Gaza among the ruins," said a clergyman at the Lutheran church in Bethlehem, where the image of the baby God in the ruins, is making the rounds of the world. In Bethlehem the bells will ring midnight in the Church of the Nativity, on Holy Night, but this year there will be no tree, no parades, no happy music, no caroling and no Santa Claus handing out candy to the children of the West Bank, wrote the American newspaper Washington Post.

From the town hall of Bethlehem, the Christmas message was announced, condemning Israel for "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide" in Gaza.

Land businesses are expanding

Israel's military has announced that 152 soldiers have been killed so far in its offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, with at least nine casualties in heavy fighting in recent hours.

Armed forces are focused on southern Gaza on Sunday, while the United States again invoked the need to protect civilians, but did not raise the issue of a ceasefire as announced after the new Biden-Netanyahu conversation.

Smoke over the northern town of Jabalia confirms aerial bombardment, while reports indicate Israeli armored vehicles are advancing towards the city centre.

Military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said Israeli forces are close to full operational control of northern Gaza.

Now, he said, "we are focusing our efforts against Hamas in southern Gaza."

It said nine soldiers were killed in the fighting on Saturday, one of the deadliest days for the army since it launched a ground offensive into Palestinian territory on October 27.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "made it clear that Israel will continue the war until all its objectives are fully met," his office said.

Egypt's plan for a two-week humanitarian truce that could be extended, in which Hamas releases 40 hostages and Israel 120 Palestinian prisoners, remains on paper.

Hamas' health ministry has since announced that more than 20,000 people have been killed and 53,000 injured in Gaza since the start of the war. Most of the dead are women and children, Hamas says.

Israel has claimed that 700 Palestinian militants have been captured since it launched its military operation and invasion of Gaza aimed at eliminating Hamas.

Source: ertnews.gr