Israeli military blows up Catholic Church in Gaza, killing two and wounding priest who was close friend to Pope Francis

According to witnesses and church officials, the Israeli army hit the compound of the single Catholic church of Gaza, killed two people and injured others.

Among the wounded, Father Gabriele Romanelli, the priest of the congregation, became a close friend of Pope Francis in the last months of Pontiff’s life.

Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Vatican News, an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) tank hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza in the early hours today.

“What we know for sure is that a tank accidentally says, but we are not sure of that, the church, the Holy Family Church, the Latin Church, ” he said.

“We don’t know exactly what is happening in Gaza today because the communication in Gaza is not so simple,” he added.

The bombardment of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound where hundreds of Palestinians were protected from the war.

Israel said that an investigation has launched an investigation and that IDF is aware of the reports and losses on the site.

“The IDF operates at the highest possible extent to minimize the damage causing civilians and civil structures, including religious buildings, and to regret damaging them, ” he added.

Pope Leo Xiv said that he was deeply upset by the attack and renewed a cease -fire call in Gaza in response.

Father Jebrail Romans, including the wounded Palestinians, Israel’s Eastern Gaza, the Holy Family Church after targeting the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was brought.

The Palestinians who were injured in the Israeli strike in the Holy Family Church were hurried for treatment at the Baptist Hospital of the City of Gaza

This picture withdrawn from the border of Israel’s Gaza Strip shows smoke on the buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli strike on the surrounded Palestinian territory

In a petition of condolences for the victims sent by the Vatican’s Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Leo, ‘Dialogue in the region, reconciliation and permanent peace’ expressed his deep hope.

Pope ‘was deeply upset to learn about the loss of life and the injury caused by the military attack’ and the congregation Revelation, Rev. Romanelli and expressed his proximity to the entire community.

Romanelli was very close to the deceased Pope Francis, and two of them often spoke during the war in Gaza.

According to Fadel Naem, the Director of Al-Ahli Hospital, the church compound is blocking both Christians and Muslims.

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.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused Israel of the strike on the church.

‘Attacks on the civilian population of Israel for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude ‘he said.

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

Fr. Gabriel Romanelli takes care of the church after being injured in Israeli strike

Father Carlos (C) Helps the losses injured in the Israeli strike from the Holy Family Church in Gaza city

Father Jebrael Roma, including the wounded Palestinians were brought to al-Ahli Baptist Hospital

The bodies of the Palestinians were taken to Morga, Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital for funeral arrangements after the Israeli strike. He hit the Catholic Holy Family Church

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, a Church, which was previously damaged by Israeli strikes in Gaza, said that the Holy Family Church contained 600 people, including many children and 54 disabled people. He said the building was causing significant damage.

The church said in a statement that a sacred area is a serious violation of the immunity of religious areas aimed at ser the sacred of insults and safe paradise in war times. ”

According to the AWDA Hospital, another person was killed on Thursday and injured on 17 Thursdays. 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.

Nuseirat Refugee Camp residents are lined up every day in front of the water trucks to move clean water back to their tents in Gaza city

Palestinians, in the Bureij Refugee Camp, supervise the Israeli strike overnight to a school that takes refuge in the displaced people

In an Israeli strike while entering the line for supplements near a medical center, Anne Iman Al-Nouri, who lost Omar and Amir’s two children, kisses a soft toy belongings to his son Siraj, who was injured in the same strike and was treated in al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

Last year, CBS said that he was looking for a priest at 19:00 at the Holy Family Church at 19:00 to hear what happened to 600 people who took refuge in the CBS.

According to the US State Department’s 2024 International Freedom Freedom report, only 1,000 Christian lives in Gaza. In the report, the majority of Palestinian Christians are the Greek Orthodox, but including other Christians, including Roman Catholics.

Strikes come as they continue to meet for the ceasefire in Israel and Hamas, Gaza, but very little progress has been made.

According to an Israeli official who is familiar with details, Israel shows ‘flexibility’ on some issues that challenge negotiators, including the presence of Israel in some security corridors where the army carved into the Gaza Strip.

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 prisoners to be released and their commitments to end the war.

This picture, which is taken from a position with the Gaza Strip on the Israeli border, shows an Israeli fighter aircraft on the Palestinian territory

The separation between Israeli troops and an army near the fence between Israel and Gaza on July 17

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

The war began on October 7, 2023 with a cross -border attack of Hamas.

That day, terrorists killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and have often kidnapped 251 people who have been released in cease -fire agreements or other agreements.

Fifty hostage is still kept 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. He does not distinguish civilians and Hamas fighters in his gang.

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