‘We know for sure tank hit Gaza church directly’: CardinalCardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, says in comments to Vatican News that two of the people wounded in the Israeli attack on the Catholic church in Gaza are at risk of death.
“There are four people seriously wounded. Among these four, two are in very dramatic conditions, and their lives are in serious danger,” Pizzaballa was quoted as saying.
“What we know for sure is that a tank – the [Israeli army] says by mistake, but we are not sure about this – they hit the church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin church,” he added.
Pope Leo ‘deeply saddened’ over deadly Israeli church attackThe head of the Roman Catholic Church has said he is “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack” on the Gaza church, according to a telegram signed on his behalf by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.
Pope Leo “assures the parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, and the whole parish community of his spiritual closeness”, the telegram said.
The pontiff renewed his “call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region”.
The statement made no reference to the pope condemning the attack.
Hamas condemns Israeli attack on Gaza churchThe Palestinian group has slammed Israel’s attack on the church in Gaza City as “a new crime committed against places of worship and innocent displaced persons”.
“It comes within the context of the comprehensive war of extermination against the Palestinian people,” Hamas said in a statement shared on Telegram.
‘Full-fledged crime’: Palestinian Foreign Ministry slams Israeli church attackThe Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the attack on Gaza’s Church of the Holy Family, also known as the Latin church, saying it regards it “a full-fledged crime that falls within the framework of the genocide” perpetrated by Israel.
The ministry said in a statement that Israel continues to be responsible for deliberate attacks targeting places of worship, hospitals, schools and shelters.
Palestinian priest urges end to Israeli attacks on GazaWe’ve spoken to Father Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest of Christ the Redeemer Church in Taybeh, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, about today’s Israeli attack on Gaza’s only Catholic church.
Fawadleh said he spoke with the assistant parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City about what happened. “He told me that the bombing was very [harsh]. They bombed the church itself,” Fawadleh told Al Jazeera.
“He told me, ‘Pray for us … We need a lot of prayers to stop the very horrible war in Gaza.'”
Fawadleh added that the Palestinian Christian community at his church in the West Bank, which has faced Israeli settler attacks, is experiencing a mix of emotions, witnessing what is happening in the Gaza Strip.
“Our feeling, it’s between hope and sorrow, between hope and death,” he said, calling for justice and an end to Israel’s war on Gaza.
Israeli attacks on Gaza churches: A listToday’s attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City is far from an isolated case.
Since October 7, 2023, verified attacks on Gaza churches by Israeli forces include:
St Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church: Air strike killed 18, damaged building.Holy Family Catholic Church: Snipers killed two women.Holy Family Catholic Church: Strike injured several, including priest; building damaged.Byzantine Church of Jabalia: Destroyed by air strikes.Monastery of St Hilarion: Damaged in bombardments.Israel claims it did not intentionally target any of the churches.
Death toll in Gaza church attack rises to threeAt least three people have been confirmed killed in Israel’s attack on the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has said.
Ten others were wounded, including one in critical condition and two in serious condition.
The patriarchate urged world leaders to act to stop the war on Gaza.
“The time has come for leaders to raise their voices and to do all that is necessary in order to stop this tragedy which is humanly and morally unjustified,” it said in a statement.
Survivors of Gaza church attack describe ‘totally horrifying’ ordealWitnesses of Israel’s deadly attack on Gaza’s only Catholic church have described their experiences to Al Jazeera.
Shadi Abu Dawoud, a 47-year-old Palestinian Christian, said the church’s main hall was housing dozens of displaced citizens, mainly children and elderly people, and that all were “peaceful civilians”.
“My mother suffered serious injuries in the head; she was wandering in the church’s yard with other elderly women [when Israeli forces attacked],” he said.
“We were taken by surprise by this Israeli air strike. This is a barbaric and unjustifiable act.
Mohammed Abu Hashem, a 69-year-old man who lives beside the church, said he was in the ruins of his home when there was a huge explosion that covered the area in black smoke, adding that he never thought the Israelis would attack the church.
“The Israeli air strike was massive, totally horrifying,” he said. “The horror we are living in is beyond description. No words could describe what we are living through. It is not even close to what you watch [on TV] or hear.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/7/17/live-israel-bombs-syria-as-latest-strikes-on-gaza-kill-at-least-93