Astronaut snaps Israeli rocket fire
JERUSALEM: Alexander Gerst, a German astronaut working at the International Space Station (ISS), captured a photo of rocket fire and explosions over the besieged Gaza Strip as the ISS flew over the region last night.
The rocket fire and explosions by Israel appear to be visible in the photos published by Grest, who has captured another side of the tragedy that is being experienced by Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extended its flight ban to Israel for all US airlines yesterday and several European carriers have also followed suit.
Since July 8, Israeli warplanes have been hitting numerous sites in the Gaza Strip. Israeli tanks also began a ground offensive against the enclave on July 17.
According to local authorities, the Israeli attacks have killed at least 700 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 4 200 others so far.
The UN Security Council has expressed serious concern over the growing number of casualties in the Palestinian coastal enclave and the organisation’s Human Rights Council voted to launch an independent inquiry into Tel Aviv’s deadly offensive.
Earlier yesterday, protesters took to streets in several towns of the occupied Palestinian territories to condemn Israel’s atrocities.
Clashes broke out between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces in many villages, including Ras al-Amud and Silwan.