Israeli Shelling Targets Holy Family Church in Gaza

Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Jul 17 (AP) — On Thursday morning, a series of strikes targeted the Holy Family Church in northern Gaza, resulting in injuries to several individuals, including the parish priest, as reported by Catholic Church officials. Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, was notably close to the late Pope Francis, maintaining frequent contact with him during the war in Gaza.

The attack caused damage to the church, with witnesses describing it as an apparent Israeli tank shelling. The Israeli military has yet to provide a comment on the incident.

In the last 18 months of his life, Pope Francis regularly checked on the lone Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, calling to understand how those sheltering inside were enduring amid the devastating war. The conflict began following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, which led to the death of approximately 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and the abduction of 251 individuals. Many of these hostages have since been released due to ceasefire agreements and other arrangements, although 50 remain captive, with fewer than half believed to be alive.

As a response to the initial attack, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 58,000 Palestinians, as stated by Gaza's Health Ministry. This figure, which includes a significant number of women and children, does not differentiate between civilians and militants. Despite being part of the Hamas-run government, the Health Ministry is led by medical professionals, and its casualty counts are considered by the United Nations and various international organizations to be the most reliable available. (AP)

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)