In a grim update from Gaza, the Interior Ministry has reported that Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday have caused extensive damage to two mosques in Khan Yunis, located in the southern Gaza Strip. This development has pushed the tally of completely demolished mosques in the current conflict to 59, with an additional 136 mosques suffering varying degrees of damage. Shockingly, this has not spared places of worship belonging to other faiths, with three churches also partially affected.
The statement released by Gaza’s Interior Ministry details the destruction: “Israeli occupation aircraft bombed and completely destroyed Khalid bin al-Walid and Al-Ikhlas mosques in Khan Yunis.” Ikrami al-Mudallal, the spokesman for the Ministry of Endowments in the Gaza Strip, further informed that the Al-Sahwa Mosque was targeted as well, adding to the count of completely devastated mosques.
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According to al-Mudallal, “The number of mosques completely demolished has risen to 59, in addition to varying degrees of damage to 136 mosques and three churches, since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on Oct. 7.”
The deliberate targeting of civilian facilities, particularly houses of worship, is considered a violation of the rules of war. Israeli authorities have claimed that Hamas fighters use these locations as cover, leading to such attacks.
The conflict has seen Israel launching sustained air and ground offensives on the Gaza Strip since the cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7. The toll on human lives is staggering, with at least 10,569 Palestinians, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women, losing their lives. Meanwhile, the Israeli death toll, as reported officially, stands at nearly 1,600.
