Israeli president visits soldiers near Gaza

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited troops stationed in the buffer zone along the land borders with the Gaza Strip on Monday.

Herzog published a photo on his X account showing him writing “We trust you" in Hebrew on an artillery shell in a show of support for their efforts.

"I would like to thank you. It is not easy at all, and it is not to be taken for granted that people have been here for over two months," he told the soldiers.

He added that the soldiers must receive full support while they are on the front lines and once they return from duty.

On Dec. 19, the Israeli army released photos of shells with the names of Arab and foreign activists known for their criticism of Israel written on them.

Israel continues to bombard the Gaza Strip from the air and land in retaliation for an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has surged to 20,674, the Health Ministry in the territory said Monday.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra also said that 54,536 people had been injured in the months-long offensive.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar