17-7-2025
Israel tanks Thursday morning struck the Holy Family Church in northern Gaza, killing two women, the Vatican has confirmed the incident.
Parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli, who was injured in the incident, was very close to the late Pope Francis and the two spoke often during the war in Gaza. The Holy Family Church is the only Catholic Church in Gaza.
The Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem said the parish’s 60-year-old caretaker and an 84-year-old woman receiving psycho-social support inside a Caritas tent in the church compound were killed in the attack.
The Israeli military said it is aware of the incident and is investigating.
The Israeli military said it “makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them”.
It claims Hamas operatives have been active in the area, this has not been verified.
In the wake of the strikes, Pope Leo called for an immediate ceasefire in the region.
Towards the end of his life, Pope Francis would regularly call for an end to Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed at least 53,000 people, the vast majority are women and children.
Only 1,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly Muslim territory, according to the US State Department’s international religious freedom report for 2024.
The report says the majority of Palestinian Christians are Greek Orthodox but they also include other Christians, including Roman Catholics. Agency reports