The civil defense of Gaza and the Latin patriarchy of Jerusalem announced Thursday the death of two people in an Israeli strike on the Catholic church alone in Palestinian territory, refuge since the start of the war for this small community.
Israel, at war with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas since October 7, 2023, said he never targets ‘religious sites during her strikes on the Gaza Strip and added that the circumstances in which the church was damaged were’ under exam.
The Church of the Sainte-Famille, located in Gaza-Ville, in the north of the territory, was struck by a raid this morning, ‘said the Latin patriarchy of Jerusalem, before confirming the results of two dead announced by the Civil Defense.
This church had contacted contacts, since the start of the war, with the former Pope Francis, who died in April, who dialogued regularly by video connection with his parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, and had launched repeated calls to put an end to the conflict.
According to the patriarchy and the civil defense, the priest was injured while the church suffered damage.
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, deemed ‘unacceptable’ this’ attack ‘against the civilian population’, which occurred during a new day of bombing which also left 18 dead, according to the Civil Defense, through the Gaza Strip.
‘No military action can justify such an attitude’ said Ms. Meloni.
The Israeli army, which said it never aimed ‘from religious places, said it was imprisoned to alleviate the damage caused to civilians and civil structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage that would be caused to them’.
‘Apologies’
The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, denounced a serious act against a place of Christian cult ‘and addressed his condolences to the Romanelli father.
The priest, parish priest of the parish of the Sainte-Famille for many years, remained in Gaza alongside some 400 faithful after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Gaza Strip has about a thousand Christians, a population of more than two million people. Most are Orthodox but, according to the patriarchy, around 135 Catholics live in the Palestinian territory ravaged by 21 months of war.
Since the start of the war, the small community has been sheltered within the church, which has also welcomed Orthodox.
‘We can wonder if Israel wants Christian communities. We are awaiting apologies from the Israeli government, “Mgr Pascal Gollnisch, general manager of the work of the East, told AFP, a French association committed to Eastern Christians.
/ATS
