Deadly Israeli strike on Gaza's Catholic Holy Family Church condemned
The Patriarchate condemned 'this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place', saying two women and one man had died in the attack on the Holy Family Church.
'This horrific war must come to a complete end,' it said, adding the victims had turned to the church compound as a safe haven 'after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away'.
The Holy Family Church spoke in a separate statement of 'a number of injured, some in critical condition'.
In a telegram for the victims, Pope Leo said he was 'deeply saddened' and called for 'an immediate ceasefire'.
The Pope expressed his 'profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region', according to the telegram which was signed by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and made no mention of Israel.
The Israeli military said on Thursday an initial inquiry suggested fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly and the cause of the incident was under review.
It also said the country did not target churches or religious sites and regretted harm to them or civilians.
'Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church' and that 'every innocent life lost is a tragedy', Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
'Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,' Netanyahu said.
The prime minister's statement followed a call from US President Donald Trump who was 'not happy' about the church strike.
'It was not a positive reaction. He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza,' a White House spokeswoman told reporters on Thursday.
'And I understand the prime minister agreed to put out a statement. It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church. That's what the prime minister relayed to the president,' the White House spokeswoman added.
The Patriarchate said the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was among those injured, and his church had sustained damage.
Father Romanelli, an Argentine, used to update the late Pope Francis regularly about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict via calls and messages.
TV footage showed him receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the strike on the religious compound.
'The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable,' she said.
'No military action can justify such an attitude.'
Israeli forces killed at least 27 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including the three killed in the church strike, according to medics and church officials.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
Israel opens corridors for UN humanitarian aid in Gaza, begins aid drops
The Israeli military has announced it is starting airdrops for aid into Gaza, and will establish so-called "humanitarian corridors" to allow for United Nations convoys to take food through the strip. While appearing to buckle to international condemnation of starvation taking hold across the war-ravaged territory, Israeli authorities continue to deny there is any hunger crisis gripping Gaza. Health authorities in Gaza have reported 123 people have died of starvation and malnutrition, with Israeli restrictions on aid remaining in place. Last week more than 100 humanitarian agencies sounded the alarm that mass starvation was spreading, and the World Health Organization (WHO) labelled it a man-made crisis. In a statement published late on Saturday night local time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the airdrops would consist of seven pallets carrying supplies such as flour, sugar and canned food. The Reuters news agency said the airdrops had begun around the time of the public announcement. The IDF also said, after a directive from the Netanyahu government, it was prepared to "implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas", but insisted it would continue to target claimed Hamas fighters and facilities. The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have rejected sustained criticism from Israel that it has left hundreds of truckloads of food waiting at depots inside the Gaza border, refusing to distribute them through the strip. The organisations have accused Israel of failing to provide safe routes for convoys to travel through Gaza, making it too dangerous for staff to pick up the supplies and take them to the areas needed. Israel deliberately cut the United Nations and other humanitarian organisations out of aid distribution, claiming Hamas had corrupted the supply chains and was stealing and stockpiling supplies for its own benefit. Hamas, the UN and aid agencies have denied that. On Saturday, the New York Times reported Israeli authorities had no evidence to back up their claims. The US and Israeli governments backed a new private aid distribution model, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). There have been chaotic and desperate scenes at the few GHF facilities operating inside the strip, as Palestinians scrambled for whatever supplies they could secure. Palestinian health authorities and the United Nations have reported more than 1,000 people have been killed trying to access aid, either in the vicinity of GHF sites or near truck convoys entering the strip in recent weeks. GHF and the IDF have disputed the figures, but not provided their own information about casualties at the sites. "The IDF emphasises that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip; this is a false campaign promoted by Hamas," the IDF said in a statement. "Responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza lies with the UN and international aid organisations. "Therefore, the UN and international organisations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas." Earlier COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for aid delivery into Gaza, reported 250 trucks were allowed to cross into Gaza last week. Humanitarian agencies have said that figure needs to be significantly larger to make any difference to the population. The IDF also announced electricity supply would be reconnected to a desalination plant in Deir al-Balah, which it cut off in March in order to apply further pressure to Hamas. Just days ago, Australia and more than two dozen other nations launched their most strident criticism of Israel since the war in Gaza began, demanding aid deliveries increase significantly and that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas be reached. The announcement from Israeli authorities came as thousands took to the streets in Tel Aviv, Israel's largest population centre, to demand the Netanyahu government agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal. Rallies are held in the city multiple times a week, and the crowds marched on the US consulate to demand the intervention of US President Donald Trump. "President Trump, you brought me back, and I thank you for that," released hostage Yair Horn told the crowd. His brother remains among the 50 captives still held by Hamas, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive. "Half of me is still in Gaza.I returned as part of a partial deal that collapsed," Mr Horn said. "We don't have time for a partial deal, the hostages don't have time for a partial deal. "We need to recalculate the course and talk about a comprehensive agreement that brings everyone back."
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Israeli military expert predicts Gaza war to continue for 10 years
Warning: This story contains language that could be distressing. Across Gaza, rows of blue tarpaulin sheets are home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. As summer temperatures soar, these tents are stifling. For people who have had to move countless times during 21 months of war, the shelter they provide is still welcome. There is a sense of frustration and desperation among the Palestinians living in this community in central Gaza. As the war in Gaza rages on, Israeli forces' displacement orders threaten to send them elsewhere in the strip. And amid all this is uncertainty about the future and what it could bring. "My biggest fear is to lose my parents, my children, my wife — the people I love," Mohammed Skiek, 40, told the ABC. If his family are killed, they will join more than 59,000 other Palestinians who have lost their lives during Israel's war in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities. With Israel showing little sign of easing its bombardment of Gaza, his concerns are well-founded. Images of devastation across the territory and of starving children lying helpless in hospital beds have again fuelled debate about Israel's ultimate goal in Gaza. The criticism levelled at the Netanyahu government is that it has moved well beyond trying to retrieve Israeli hostages and destroy Hamas and that its rhetoric and actions are indicative of more sinister plans for Gaza. As the war in Gaza approaches its second anniversary, there is a sobering prediction from former members of Israel's military. Gabi Siboni is a colonel in the Israel Defense Forces reserves and an expert in military strategy at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. He told the ABC he believed fighting would continue for another decade. "What's the alternative? We need to clean Gaza. This is a task for years," he said. His views stand in stark contrast to the overwhelming majority of international opinion, which has been critical of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza and, in particular, the lack of aid entering the strip. "Israel is conducting this war in the most humanitarian way ever, both in the humanitarian supply that the population is receiving and in the non-involved deaths that we have," he said. "We try to reduce that as much as possible." Last week, Australia joined more than two dozen other countries in condemning restrictions on aid deliveries and demanding an end to the war. More than 100 humanitarian agencies have warned: "The Israeli government's siege starves the people of Gaza." Colonel Siboni does not see it that way. "The Gazan population is a parasite population," Colonel Siboni said. "They have lived on humanitarian aid for the last 20 years. "And so the current situation is that the aid funnelled into Gaza is much, much more than sufficient to the needs of Gaza." Palestinian health officials say at least 101 people, including 80 children, have died of hunger — most of them in recent weeks. Recent events have shown the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are prepared for the total occupation of Gaza. Since the last ceasefire was shattered in mid March, and Israel launched Operation Gideon's Chariots, the IDF's control of Gaza has grown exponentially. Data collected by the United Nations suggests evacuation and displacement orders issued by the military have left 93 per cent of the strip either under Israeli military control or declared combat zones. Palestinians have already been squeezed into a tiny part of Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has floated the idea of moving at least 600,000 Palestinians into what he has called a "humanitarian camp" built on the ruins of Rafah in Gaza's south. Humanitarian advocates have likened the proposal to something more like a concentration camp, designed to depopulate the north of Gaza. Citing a "need to eliminate Hamas", Colonel Siboni outlined the plans. "Palestinians who enter would not be allowed to leave," Colonel Siboni said. "We invite the population of Gaza to go to areas with full control of the IDF, what is called a humanitarian town, city or compound, and they will be there until we finish Hamas. "I don't see the problem." Even before the kite-flying exercise of the Rafah "humanitarian city" idea began, Mr Katz described the goal of taking control of large swathes of the strip. "The population of Gaza is evacuating from the fighting zones, and large areas are being seized and added to Israel's security zones, leaving Gaza smaller and more isolated," he said in April. Israeli media have reported deep concerns about the idea within the government and the IDF. There has been discussion about the viability and merits of the camp: Could it be built quickly enough? Would it be too expensive? How would it be run? The IDF chief of staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, has reportedly said the proposal has "more holes than cheese". The debate has reached Gaza's desperate residents. "Katz's proposal is hopefully a failed one. They want to forcibly deport people to Rafah, and I hope it will fail," Saja Al-Bahisi, 21, told the ABC. "It is an uncomfortable feeling for sure." Umm Fadi said if people wanted to move from their homes to Rafah, they would have done it on the first day of the war. "Why would we have paid this high price — blood, genocide, people who died — to end up in a small lot in Gaza to be concentrated there?" she asked. Rami Jaber Nawfal said Israel wanted to displace the Palestinians and take control of Gaza. "We refuse this," he said. "We are ready to die altogether if that's the case." Maya Rosenfeld, an expert in Israeli Palestinian policy at the Hebrew University, was not convinced the Israeli government would ever pursue the Rafah city proposal. "The whole thing is that you do not leave [the Palestinians] any means of re-establishing themselves," Dr Rosenfeld said. Dr Rosenfeld said Israel's real intention could be seen through its widespread destruction of Gaza as, according to the Israeli government, it targeted Hamas fighters and facilities. She described it as destroying the "infrastructure of existence" — not only things like housing, water and sewerage pipelines and roads, but also schools and workplaces where Gazans have the opportunity to learn and provide for their families. "Gaza has been under extreme conditions for many years now," Dr Rosenfeld said. She argued the high death toll across the strip, now reaching towards 60,000 people, according to local health authorities, was evidence of a dramatic shift in policy. "What do you think, you can bombard a place day after day … and you say, 'OK, to reach one Hamas militant, we kill 40, 50 people?'" she said. "It's clear that the target here is to kill the people and to destroy their existence. "I think Israel has actually entered a war of annihilation — annihilation doesn't necessarily mean, you know, the killing of 2 million Palestinians … but it is to make life in the Gaza Strip impossible." The current war began after Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel in October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostage. About 50 hostages are still in Gaza, 20 of whom are still believed to be alive. "I don't want to belittle Hamas's responsibility here, I don't want to overlook it," Dr Rosenfeld said. "Without the attack on the seventh of October, all this would not have taken place. Perhaps Israel would have looked for another opportunity." With the war dragging on, thousands of Israeli reservists are now refusing to serve. Among them is Yotam Vilk, who spent more than 230 days on the front line in Gaza. "I proved myself. Like, I was willing, I put myself in danger, I was willing to take the actions in need," he told the ABC. "I know I'm not a pacifist. Again, we understand that war has consequences. We understand that the situation is complicated. We don't advocate for Hamas. "I was fighting Hamas for a year. I lost friends in this war." But for Mr Vilk, a 30-year-old master of law student, the shifting goalposts became too much. "At some point, I think everyone in Israel will have to face the facts of the situation; that we're all in in Gaza currently," he said. "At no point did anyone in the IDF get a command to do actions to ethnic cleanse Gaza as a means of killing civilians. "But the IDF is oblivious towards what we'll call collateral damage, so it doesn't really matter, so you could kill a lot of people under that justification." Three reservists took their concerns about Israel's actions to Israel's Supreme Court. They challenged the legality of displacement orders across the Gaza Strip and the so-called humanitarian city under Operation Gideon's Chariots. The court has dismissed their petition. Mr Vilk argued loud voices within the Netanyahu government were demanding that the war continue and that Hamas and the Palestinian population be destroyed. Two far-right ministers have been sanctioned for inciting extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said he will not allow "even a grain of wheat" to enter Gaza, which he says will be "entirely destroyed". National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the Palestinian population to be pushed out of Gaza, saying "we must encourage emigration". "We have to end this war at any means necessary. We have to stop digging the hole that we're currently still digging," Mr Vilk said. That would be achieved, he said, through a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas. But Colonel Siboni argued there was very little room for negotiation, insisting a deal with the militant group was a fruitless pursuit. "We took the issue of hostages to the extreme," he said. "I've made my choice between the national security and the security of the hostages. I choose our national security, which is a very hard thing to say, but such is life."
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Israeli forces kill at least 25 seeking aid in Gaza
Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion. Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion. Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion. Israeli air strikes and gunshots have killed at least 25 people, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and US delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no pre-existing conditions have begun to starve to death. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the UN and other organisations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble on Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians". He said they won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion.
