CAIRO: Hamas has accused Israel of bombing Gaza’s medieval Omari Mosque causing widespread damage to the building and terming the act as heinous and barbaric, Western media reported on Friday.
Hamas-run media also shared photographs showing massive damage to the mosque, with fallen walls and roofs and a massive crack at the bottom of the minaret.
Journalists affiliated with western media from Gaza identified the minaret of the Omari Mosque in the image.
The Omari mosque, is named after Islam’s second caliph Omar, is the oldest and biggest in Gaza, which has been under Israeli bombardment since October 7.
Israel’s relentless bombardment has killed more than 17,000 Palestinians, including children and women, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory.
READ ALSO: US Opposes Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza as Over 17,487 Palestinians Killed
During a seven-day ceasefire that expired on December 1, Hamas released 105 captives, including 80 in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that public order would completely break down soon because of the desperate conditions in Gaza, with irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole.
The UN rights chief, Volker Turk has also warned of utter, deepening horror for Gazans, who are being collectively punished.
The dire situation in Gaza is compounded by an Israeli blockade, severing the region from essential supplies such as fuel, electricity, and water. Aid deliveries to Gaza have reached to a minimum. Israel has been deliberately targeting medical facilities in Gaza.
