Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday, addressing the world's Christians, to fight against “evil forces” as the war in Gaza darkens Christmas festivities for Christians in Israel and elsewhere. Palestinian territories.
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“Israel leads the world in the fight against the forces of evil (…), but our fight is not yet over. With your support and God's help, I assure you that we will overcome,” Netanyahu said in a video message to Christians around the world.
“You have stood with us with resilience, steadfastness and strength as Israel defends our civilization against barbarism,” added Mr. Netanyahu.
“We seek peace with all who wish peace with us, but we will do whatever is necessary to defend the one and only Jewish state, guardian and source of our common heritage.”
The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the Palestinian Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 which resulted in the death of more than 1,200 people on the Israeli side, the majority civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.
More than 45,000 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli military campaign in retaliation, the majority civilians, according to data from the Health Ministry of the Hamas government for Gaza, deemed reliable by the UN.
Israel has about 185,000 Christians, or 1.9% of the population, with Arab Christians making up nearly 76% of that community, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.
According to Palestinian authorities, approximately 47,000 Christians reside in the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip.
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