Israeli Strike Hits Gaza’s Only Catholic Church, Killing Two — Latin Patriarchate Confirms
An Israeli military strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, the Holy Family Church, has killed two civilians, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed on Thursday, sparking international condemnation and renewed concern over the targeting of religious sites in the ongoing war.
“With deep sorrow, the Latin Patriarchate can now confirm that two persons were killed as a result of an apparent strike by the Israeli army that hit the Holy Family Compound this morning,” the church said in an official statement.
“Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians. We pray for the rest of their souls and for the end of this barbaric war.”
The Israeli military said it does not target religious buildings and expressed regret for any harm caused to civilians, but did not directly confirm the incident.
Pope Leo XIV said he was “deeply saddened” by the attack, which comes amid escalating violence across the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that at least 20 people were killed in Israeli strikes across the territory on Thursday alone.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed that “two citizens from the Christian community” were among the dead in the attack on the church compound in Gaza City, a site that had previously maintained communication with the late Pope Francis during the conflict.
Photographs from the scene showed wounded victims being treated at Al-Ahli Hospital (also known as the Baptist Hospital), with some arriving on stretchers, one man wearing an oxygen mask. Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, was also seen with a bandage on his leg.
The patriarchate, which oversees Catholic communities in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, and Cyprus, said the strike “destroyed large parts of the complex,” intensifying fears for the safety of Gaza’s already vulnerable Christian minority.
The Holy Family Church in Gaza has served as a shelter for dozens of Christian families since the war broke out. It is the last remaining Catholic church in the enclave, making the attack a symbolic and spiritual blow to the region’s tiny Christian population.
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues with no immediate resolution in sight, international observers and religious leaders have called for renewed efforts to protect civilians and places of worship.
