The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Gaza detailed the extent of the destruction of holy sites as a result of the devastating Israeli war since October 7, 2023, noting the destruction of a thousand mosques and dozens of cemeteries, in addition to the assassination of more than 100 preachers.
The Israeli occupation army has destroyed a thousand mosques and dozens of cemeteries in Gaza, and assassinated more than 100 preachers, since the start of the devastating war on October 7, 2023, according to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs stated in a statement, on Sunday evening, that the number of mosques that were completely or partially destroyed reached 1,000 out of 1,200, including ancient mosques, which require reconstruction efforts at a cost estimated at about 500 million dollars.
She pointed out that the assassinations carried out by the Israeli occupation forces resulted in the martyrdom of more than 100 preachers, including religious scholars, preachers, imams, muezzins, and memorizers.
The Israeli occupation destroys Al-Qassam Mosque in the northern Gaza Strip and turns it into rubble. It is one of 1,200 mosques that were completely or partially destroyed by Israeli bombing.
The occupation forces also destroyed dozens of cemeteries and their soldiers exhumed the graves, violating the limits of humanity and international laws, according to what was stated in the statement.
The Ministry of Endowments reported that the emergency cemeteries in the Gaza governorates were completely filled, which led to a lack of space for burial, and they were forced to bury the martyrs in public places such as sidewalks, inside homes, markets, schools, and hospital courtyards.
The religious campaign affected churches
The Ministry confirmed that the occupation destroyed, as part of its religious campaign, the Greek Orthodox Church, several administrative facilities, zakat committees, schools for teaching the Holy Quran, and the headquarters of the Endowment Bank.
The Ministry concluded its statement by emphasizing the necessity of supporting the Arab and Islamic nation and human consciences, calling on every free and honorable person to fulfill his responsibilities towards his brothers in the Gaza Strip.
“Debunking the Zionist allegations” a Hamas booklet revealing the true motives of the “Al-Aqsa Flood”
The Hamas movement issued a booklet revealing its story about the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation carried out by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades against the Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
The Hamas movement explained the details and background of what happened on the 7th of last October as part of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, which was carried out by its armed arm, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, against the Israeli settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip, which was followed by a devastating Israeli war that continues for the 108th consecutive day.
On Sunday, Hamas's media office issued a 16-page booklet explaining the movement's story about the operation and titled: "This is our story Why the Al-Aqsa flood?" Explaining that the release comes to “refute the falsehood of Zionist allegations and set the facts straight.”
'A necessary step'
The source said, "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was a necessary step and a natural response to confront the Israeli plans being hatched aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause, controlling and Judaizing the land, and resolving sovereignty over Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy sites."
According to Hamas, the operation aimed to “end the unjust siege on the Gaza Strip, in addition to being a natural step within the framework of getting rid of the occupation, restoring national rights, achieving independence and freedom like the rest of the peoples of the world, the right to self-determination, and establishing the independent Palestinian state with the city of Jerusalem as its capital.”
The movement said in the release, “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, last October 7, targeted Israeli military sites, and sought to capture enemy soldiers and fighters, in order to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons through an exchange process.”
She added, "Some disruption may have occurred during the implementation of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, due to the complete and rapid collapse of the Israeli security and military system, and the occurrence of some chaos as a result of the wide breaches in the fence and the system separating the Gaza Strip from our areas of operations."
Killing Israeli civilians?
Hamas responded to its accusation of targeting Israeli civilians during the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” and said, “Avoiding targeting civilians, especially women, children, and the elderly, is a religious and moral obligation upon which Hamas’ sons are raised.”
She added, "What the Israeli occupation is promoting about the Qassam Brigades targeting Israeli civilians in an attack on October 7th is pure slander and a lie," and that "the sources of information that claim this are Israeli sources, and there are no independent sources that confirm the validity of their claims."
It announced, "On the other hand, there are numbers of armed settlers in the Gaza envelope who clashed last October 7 with members of the resistance and participated in military operations alongside the occupation forces. Those who were killed were Israeli registered as civilian deaths."
She continued: "We confirm what we have repeatedly declared, that our resistance is disciplined by the controls and instructions of our true Islamic religion, and that the targeting of its military wing is against the occupation soldiers and those who carry weapons against our people."
International investigation
Commenting on the devastating war waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip since last October 7, the release said, “The brutal killing of civilians is systematic behavior by the entity, through which it deliberately humiliates and subjugates the Palestinian people, and the huge number of martyrs of women and children in this aggression on the Gaza Strip.” "Proves that."
Hamas called on the International Criminal Court, “particularly the Prosecutor General and his investigative team and the relevant UN investigation committees, to come urgently and immediately to occupied Palestine, in order to investigate all crimes and violations, and not be content with observing from afar and standing in the ruins of the Gaza Strip or submitting to Israeli restrictions.” .
Regarding the refusal of the United States and European countries to prosecute Israel before the International Court of Justice, Hamas said: “We call on these countries, especially the United States, Germany, Canada and Britain, if they are truly concerned with justice as they claim, to declare their support for the court’s path to investigate all the crimes committed in Palestine.” "occupied."
The movement also asked these countries to help the court carry out its investigations effectively.
She stressed that it is "a national liberation movement with moderate Islamic thought that rejects extremism and believes in the values of truth, justice, freedom, and the prohibition of injustice. It also believes in religious freedom and human-civilized coexistence."
On October 7, Hamas carried out an attack on the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed, about 5,431 were injured, and at least 239 were captured. Israel estimates that there are about “137 hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip,” according to identical media reports, And statements by Israeli officials.
Egypt and Qatar, along with the United States, are sponsoring efforts to reach a second temporary truce in Gaza, as the first truce was reached last November and resulted in the release of 105 detainees held by Hamas, including 81 Israelis, 23 Thai citizens, one Filipino, and 240 prisoners. Palestinian.
Since last October 7, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, which, as of Sunday, left “25,105 martyrs and 62,681 injured,” and caused the displacement of about 1.9 million, or more than 85 percent of the population, in light of the destruction. Huge damage to homes and infrastructure, according to Gaza authorities and the United Nations.