Palestinian Christians wait to hope on the midnight Christmas Eve Mass out facet the Deir Al Latin Holy Household Catholic Church in Gaza Metropolis, 2021.
Adel Hana/AP
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Adel Hana/AP
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli shell slammed into the compound of the one Catholic church within the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing three folks and wounding 10 others, together with the parish priest, in keeping with church officers. The late Pope Francis, who died in April, had regularly spoken to the priest in regards to the state of affairs within the war-ravaged territory.
The shelling of the Holy Household Catholic Church in Gaza additionally broken the church compound, the place a whole lot of Palestinians have been sheltering from the 21-month Israel-Hamas conflict. Israel issued a uncommon apology and mentioned it was investigating.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday renewed his name for a right away ceasefire in response to the assault.
In a telegram of condolences for the victims, Leo expressed “his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace within the area.” The pope mentioned he was “deeply saddened to study of the lack of life and damage brought on by the army assault,” and expressed his closeness to the wounded priest, Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, and your entire parish.
Tons of of individuals sheltered on the church
The church compound was sheltering each Christians and Muslims, together with a lot of youngsters with disabilities, in keeping with Fadel Naem, performing director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which acquired the casualties.
The Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem mentioned the parish’s 60-year-old janitor and an 84-year-old lady receiving psychosocial help inside a Caritas tent within the church compound had been killed within the assault. Parish priest Romanelli was frivolously wounded.
Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, Latin parish priest of Gaza Strip (left), prays through the midnight Christmas Eve Mass at Deir Al Latin Holy Household Catholic Church in Gaza Metropolis, Dec. 24, 2021.
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“We had been struck within the church whereas all of the folks there have been elders, harmless folks and kids,” mentioned Shady Abu Dawood, whose mom was wounded by shrapnel to her head. “We love peace and name for it, and it is a brutal, unjustified motion by the Israeli occupation.”
The Israeli army mentioned it was investigating. It mentioned it “makes each possible effort to mitigate hurt to civilians and civilian constructions, together with non secular websites, and regrets any harm prompted to them.”
In a uncommon transfer, the Israeli Overseas Ministry posted an apology on social media. “Israel expresses deep sorrow over the harm to the Holy Household Church in Gaza Metropolis and over any civilian casualty,” it mentioned.
Israel has repeatedly struck colleges, shelters, hospitals and different civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them for civilian deaths. Palestinians say nowhere has felt protected since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the strike on the church. “The assaults on the civilian inhabitants that Israel has been demonstrating for months are unacceptable,” she mentioned.
Church compounds have been struck earlier than
The church is only a stone’s throw from Al-Ahli Hospital, Naem mentioned, noting that the world round each the church and the hospital has been repeatedly struck for over every week.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which additionally has a church in Gaza that beforehand sustained harm from Israeli strikes, mentioned the Holy Household Church was sheltering 600 displaced folks, together with many youngsters, and 54 folks with disabilities. It mentioned the constructing suffered vital harm.
Focusing on a holy web site “is a blatant affront to human dignity and a grave violation of the sanctity of life and the inviolability of spiritual websites, which are supposed to function protected havens throughout occasions of conflict,” the Church mentioned in an announcement.
Individually, one other individual was killed and 17 wounded Thursday in a strike towards two colleges sheltering displaced folks within the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, in keeping with Al-Awda Hospital. The Israeli army didn’t instantly touch upon the strike.
The Gaza Well being Ministry mentioned that over the previous 24 hours, native hospitals acquired the our bodies of 94 folks killed in Israeli strikes and one other 367 wounded.
Pope Francis spoke nearly every day with Gaza church
Within the final 18 months of his life, Francis would typically name the lone Catholic church within the Gaza Strip to see how folks huddled inside had been dealing with a devastating conflict.
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