Israel Destroys Over 60 Mosques In Gaza, Another 150 Targeted

Tehran, Aug 9, IRNA – The ongoing Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip has completely destroyed 60 mosques in the embattled Palestinian territory, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has said. In a Friday statement, the ministry said that 20 mosques had been razed in Gaza City, 11 in the northern Gaza Strip, 17 in the southern Khan Younis, 10 in central Gaza Strip and two in the southern Rafah. The Zionist regimeˈs offensive also left 150 mosques partially damaged, the ministry said. Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip for almost a month since July 7, killing at least 1,894 Palestinians and injured 9,817 others. Thousands of homes have also been destroyed in the offensive. Israel resumed its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Friday after the expiry of a three-day ceasefire with Palestinians following the collapse of their indirect talks in Egypt. Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Abdullah Madani had strongly denounced the Israeli strikes on mosques in Gaza Strip last week. ˈIt wasnˈt sufficient for the Israeli war machine to kill civilians, destroy their homes, farms and infrastructure, but the lust of the Israeli government for destruction turned places of worship too,ˈ Madani stressed. ˈItˈs rare to find such brutality in the history of wars,ˈ he added, calling on the countries that provide the Zionist regime with material and political coverage to stop doing so otherwise they will be partners of Tel Aviv in the outrageous atrocities. About 2,000 Gazans have been killed and over 10,000 more wounded by the Zionist regimeˈs terrorist attacks on the besieged enclave. Thousands more have also been displaced by Israeli aggression./end