DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip. An Israeli shell struck the compound of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza on Thursday, killing three people and wounding ten others, including the parish priest who had been in close contact with the late Pope Francis, according to church officials.
The attack damaged the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, which has been sheltering hundreds of Palestinians, including children and people with disabilities, amid the ongoing 21-month war between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military expressed regret over what it called a mistaken strike and said it is investigating the incident.
Pope Leo XIV responded by renewing his call for an immediate ceasefire. In a message of condolence, he conveyed “profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and enduring peace,” and expressed sorrow over the casualties, including Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, the wounded priest.
The White House said former U.S. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express frustration over the strike. Netanyahu later stated that Israel “deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church.”
Caritas Jerusalem, a Catholic charity, confirmed the deaths of a 60-year-old janitor and an 84-year-old woman who had been receiving psychosocial support in a Caritas tent inside the compound. Romanelli was lightly injured.
“We were struck in the church while all the people there were elders, innocent people and children,” said Shady Abu Dawood, whose mother was wounded in the attack. “We love peace and call for it, and this is a brutal, unjustified action by the Israeli occupation.”
The Israeli military said its initial assessment suggests “fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly.” It reiterated its policy of targeting militant sites, avoiding harm to civilians and religious structures, and said it regrets any unintentional damage.
The Holy Family Church is located near Al-Ahli Hospital and has been hit multiple times in recent days, according to hospital director Fadel Naem. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which also has a damaged church in Gaza, said the Catholic compound was housing about 600 displaced people, including 54 with disabilities, and described the attack as “a grave violation of the sanctity of life and religious sites.”
In a separate strike on Thursday, one person was killed and 17 were injured when two schools sheltering displaced families in the Al-Bureij refugee camp were hit, according to Al-Awda Hospital. The Israeli military did not comment on the incident.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that local hospitals had received 94 bodies and 367 wounded individuals in the previous 24 hours due to Israeli strikes. The ministry says over 58,600 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began in October 2023, most of them women and children. The figures, though issued by the Hamas-run government, are widely used by international organizations, including the United Nations.
The late Pope Francis had maintained regular contact with the church during his final 18 months, frequently calling to check on the civilians sheltering inside. He had been critical of Israel’s conduct during the war and supported calls to investigate alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Gaza is home to around 1,000 Christians, mostly Greek Orthodox, within an overwhelmingly Muslim population. Many Christians have emigrated in recent decades due to war and hardship. Christian leaders have recently condemned attacks by Israeli settlers and extremists.
Meanwhile, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and hostage deal have made little visible progress. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, said Israel is showing flexibility on certain issues, including security corridors in Gaza, but added that major disagreements remain.
Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 in the October 7 attack that sparked the war. About 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
