Israel is in “a new phase” of the war. In a final prayer from the father of six, Refaat Alareer, you can hear the rain of bombs.
Middle East correspondent Hanne Christiansen keeps in touch with many sources in the Gaza Strip. One of them was father-of-six Refaat Alareer. This was his last sign of life. Photo: Private/montage
Sea view
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Explained editorial board
Published: 20.12.2023 16:16 | Updated: 20/12/2023 16:57
– Israel is constantly bombing. When it’s quiet in Gaza City, they bomb nearby. You hear constant machine guns, artillery and warships. This night can be a hellish night, says Refaat Alareer in his last audio message to Aftenposten.
On Wednesday, December 6, Alareer was killed. Listen to his last prayer in the podcast Explained:
– Of all the sources I have had contact with, Refaat is perhaps the one who has been the most profiled. He has long been known as a very clear voice, says Middle East correspondent Hanne Christiansen in this episode of Forklart.
When the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended, the bombing increased. The UN has said that some of the heaviest bombings have come since the ceasefire. One of the victims was Refaat Alareer.
Close to 20,000 killed
At least 19,667 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since the war began. On Tuesday alone, 100 were killed, according to the Ministry of Health.
The health authorities have previously stated that around 70 per cent of those killed are children and women. It has been over a week since the ministry updated the number of children killed.
It had then passed 7,700.
Aftenposten cannot independently verify the figures for those killed, but the UN and Human Rights Watch have previously said so to Reuters that they have considered the figures to be credible.
Palestinians bury some of the more than 7,600 children who are said to have been killed in Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip. The picture was taken in Rafah on 19 December. Photo: Fatima Shbair / AP / NTB
Sea view
– I first saw on social media that an acquaintance of Refaat had written that he was killed in an Israeli airstrike, and that people were in shock, says Christiansen.
– I have not been able to get hold of Refaat’s family. From what I understand, they are alive. But I don’t know how they feel or where they are right now, she continues.
Hear the whole story in the podcast above. There you will also get an update on the growing criticism of Israel.
Hear Explained wherever you want
Explained is Aftenposten’s daily news podcast. Every day of the week comes a new explanation. The episodes are free and available everywhere you find podcasts. Here are some recent examples:
2023-12-20 15:16:59
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