Sharjah bans NYE fireworks, celebrations in solidarity with Gaza

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There will be no fireworks or celebrations this New Year's Eve in Sharjah. The police announced the ban on Tuesday night.

It was a decision taken to express solidarity with Palestinians in war-torn Gaza, the authorities said.

Legal action shall be taken against violators, the police said, calling on all institutions and individuals to cooperate.

More than 20,000 people have already been killed in the Gaza Strip as the war between Israel and Hamas raged on. Seventy per cent of them were believed to be women and children.

The death toll is expected to rise further as Israel recently said there would be "no peace" until Hamas is destroyed.

Israel's army chief said its war with Hamas will last "many more months" as the military stepped up strikes in Gaza.

Concerns over a spiralling humanitarian crisis inside the besieged territory have amplified calls for an end to the hostilities.

Since the siege went into effect, Gaza's 2.4 million people have been suffering severe shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine, with only limited aid entering the territory. An estimated 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced, according to the UN.