“Horrifying testimonies” of Israeli forces executing Gazans

If Americans New – IsraelPalestinNews – Published December 24, 2023: The little town of Bethlehem is quiet this Christmas, as more and more deaths are reported in Gaza. An Israeli former hostage speaks highly of her captors.

People walk by the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, on Christmas Eve, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. — Christmas celebrations were canceled this year in Bethlehem. A handful of people walk by the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, on Christmas Eve, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

Gaza’s health ministry said that dozens of Palestinians were publicly “executed” during an Israeli military operation in the northern town of Jabaliya this week, and has testimonies showing “the Israeli army carried out the summary execution of 137 Palestinian civilians” in the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli army claims it is ‘unaware’ of civilian execution accusations.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor stated that “it had received horrifying testimony regarding killings and field executions of several people over the age of 60. These incidents included soldiers shooting elderly people immediately after ordering them to evacuate their homes, and in some cases, executing them just moments after their release from hours or days of arbitrary detention.”

Two more Palestinian journalists were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 103 since Oct. 7, the government media office said.

A 13-year-old child was killed by an Israeli drone at El Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said, shot by an Israeli drone while inside the building.

“Our guards in Gaza protected us from bombing with their bodies, respected women,” says former Israeli captive: In an interview on Israeli television, Chen Almog Goldstein said that “The guards who held us (in Gaza) were protecting us with their bodies from the bombing. When we asked them if they were going to kill us, their response was: we will die before you die.”

Goldstein noted that the guards “were very close to us, and we did not stay alone for a moment. Therefore, I was afraid that the (Israeli) army would come at any moment. I was afraid of that. They respected women. To them, women are sacred and they are not allowed to touch them. To them, women are queens.” The prisoner also spoke about her two young sons, saying, “They were playing and drawing, and our guards even taught them some card games.”

A view of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church's Nativity scene in Bethlehem. This year, it portrays a baby Christ born under rubble and wrapped up in a Palestinian keffiyeh. — A view of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church’s Nativity scene in Bethlehem. This year, it portrays a baby Christ born under rubble and wrapped up in a Palestinian keffiyeh.

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – DECEMBER 23:

Palestinian death toll since October 7: at least 20,090* (~19,953 in Gaza* (over 8,663 children), and at least 303 in the West Bank). This does not include an estimated 8,000 more still buried under rubble. Euro-Med Monitor reports 27,137 Palestinian deaths.

*IAK does not yet include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile is being disputed; although much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, experts are still looking into the incident. Israel is blocking an international investigation.

Palestinian injuries since October 7: at least 58,665** (including at least 55,000 in Gaza** and 3,665 in the West Bank). **NOTE: it is impossible to provide an accurate number of injuries in Gaza due to the ongoing bombardment and communication disruption.

It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties. in Gaza**. About 1.9 million people have been displaced (about 85-90% of the population).

Reported Israeli death toll since October 7: ~1,139 (7 killed in West Bank, 152 in Gaza), including 32 Americans, and 5,431 injured, approximately 36 children).

NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries in Israel may have been caused by Israeli soldiers; additionally, since Israel has a policy of universal conscription, it is unknown how many of those attending the outdoor rave a few miles from Gaza on stolen Palestinian land were Israeli soldiers.