Israel admits responsibility for deadly strikes on Gaza Strip
At least 70 people were killed by IDF air strikes in the Gaza Strip (photo: Getty Images)
The Israeli military admitted that on Christmas Eve they carried out two deadly strikes on the Maghazi refugee camp. The attacks killed dozens of Palestinians, including civilians, according to The Hill.
The military said that the strikes on Christmas Eve, December 24, were carried out by fighter jet missiles that hit buildings "adjacent" to the intended targets.
"A preliminary investigation revealed that additional buildings near the targets were also hit during the strikes, which likely caused unintended harm to additional uninvolved civilians," the military said.
The Gaza Ministry of Health said that at least 70 people were killed in the two strikes.
The military stated that it "regrets the harm to uninvolved civilians and is working to draw lessons from the incident."
The Israeli military's statement came amid reports that the number of Palestinians killed in the war between Israel and Hamas has exceeded 20,000, as well as growing international pressure on Israel to end its military operation in the Gaza Strip.
International pressure on Israel
International pressure for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is growing. In his Christmas address, Pope Francis once again called for an end to the war.
"I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims, and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid. May there be an end to the fueling of violence and hatred," he said.
The White House has stated that it wants the war between Israel and Hamas to end as soon as possible.
At the same time, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) noted that the military operation against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip is likely to last for many more months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war in Gaza will last "a long time", despite warnings from the United States and other countries that continuing the offensive on Gaza could strengthen Hamas, not defeat it.
