Israel Bombs Gaza’s Only Catholic Church, Killing At Least 3 And Wounding Parish Priest

DEIR AL-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP)-A Israeli shell hit the compound of the single Catholic Church In the Gaza Strip According to the church officials, on Thursday, to kill three people and to injure 10 people, including the priest. The deceased Pope Francis died in April Speaking regularly with the priest About the situation in the region caused by war.

The bombardment of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound where hundreds of Palestinians were protected from the 21-month Israel-Hamas War. Israel rarely published an apology and said he was investigating.

Pope Leo XIV immediately renewed the cease -fire call in response to the attack on Thursday.

In his condolences petition for the victims, Leo said, ogudal Dialogue, reconciliation and permanent peace in the region ”. Pope, “the military attack caused by the loss of life and the injury to learn deeply upset” and Rev. Gabriel Romanelli and said he expressed his proximity to the entire community.

According to Fadel Naem, Director of Al-Ahli Hospital, who took the wounded, the church compound contained both Christians and Muslims, including both disabled children.

Caritas Jerusalem, the Catholic charity, said that the 60 -year -old event of the congregation and a 84 -year -old woman had been killed in a psychosocial support in a Caritas tent in the church compound. Parish Piest Romanelli was slightly injured.

“All the people there were the elderly, innocent people and children, we hit the church when he said, his mother said Shady Abu Dawood, who was injured by his shrapnel. “We love peace and we call it, and this is a cruel, unfair action of Israeli occupation.”

The Israeli army said it was investigated. This, “religious sites, including civilians and civil structures to damage all kinds of efforts to damage and regret the damage to them,” he said.

In a rare movement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued an apology on social media. “Israel expresses deep sorrow for the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza and any civilian wounded,” he said.

Israel has repeatedly shot schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accused Hamas militants of shelter inside, and accused them for civilian deaths. The Palestinians say that Israel has never felt safe since Hamas started the attack on the October 7, 2023 attack.

Italian premiere Giorgia Meloni He blamed Israel for a strike to the church. “Israel’s attacks on the civilian population for months are unacceptable,” he said.

Naem said that the church had only one stone beat from the al-Ahli hospital, and that both the church and the area around the hospital have been shot over and over again for more than a week.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which is also a church in Gaza Continuous damage from Israeli strikesHe said that the Holy Family Church contains 600 displaced people and 54 disabled people, including many children. He said the building was causing significant damage.

Targeting a sacred site is “an insult to human dignity and is a serious violation of the holiness of life and the immunity of religious areas aiming to serve as a safe paradise in times of war.”

According to the AWDA Hospital, another person died separately, and on Thursday, on Thursday, he was injured in a strike against two schools that hosted people in the Al-Erseij refugee camp in the center of Gaza. The Israeli army did not comment on the strike immediately.

In the last 18 months of his life, Francis would often call the Catholic Church in the Gaza Strip to see how they had dealt with a destructive war to see that they had gathered inside.

Francis had repeatedly criticized Israel’s war -time behavior and suggested this last year Genocide claims in Gaza – It should be investigated that Israel rejects as a “blood slander .. The deceased Pope met with the families of Israeli hostages and asked to be released.

According to the US State Department’s 2024 International Freedom Freedom Report, only 1,000 Christians live in Gaza, a Muslim region. Most Greek Orthodox.

The Christian population of the holy land has declined in the last decade, because many of them migrated to escape from war and conflict or to seek better opportunities abroad. Local Christian leaders have recently condemned Attacks of Israeli settlers And Jewish Farms.

A new ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas aimed at the indirect negotiations aimed at the release agreement. Israel an earlier ceasefire ended In March.

According to an Israeli official who is familiar with details, Israel demonstrates “flexibility de on some issues that challenge negotiators, including the presence of Israel in some security corridors in which the army carved into the region.

Speaking on the condition of the name of the authority, the ongoing negotiations, Israel is willing to compromise the Morag corridor who cut the southern Gaza, he said. However, other issues, including the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel and commitments to end the war.

Authorized, there are symptoms of optimism, but there will be no agreement immediately, he says.

The militants led by Hamas killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians in the October 7 attack, and often missed 251 people who were released in cease -fire agreements or other agreements. It is still held fifty hostage, less than half of it is believed to be in life

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israel’s retaliation attack killed more than 58,000 Palestinians and said that women and children are more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in their gangs.

The Ministry is part of the government operated by Hamas, but is managed by medical experts. The figures of the United Nations and other international organizations Most reliable war losses.

Lidman, Tel Aviv, reported from Israel. Colleen Barry in Milan, Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Sally Abou Aljoud in Beirut contributed.