Young man injured in Israeli attack on Catholic church in Gaza says ‘love is stronger than war'
On Thursday,
an Israeli tank attacked the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, which the late Pope Francis called daily.
Over 600 people, both Christians and Muslims, are sheltered in the parish within its church and school – the majority are children and 54 have additional needs.
Image of the damaged Holy Family Catholic church in Gaza
Three people were killed and ten others were injured in the attack, including the parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli.
Suhail Abo Dawood, a young Catholic student from Gaza, was also seriously injured.
From Gaza, he contributes to L'Osservatore Romano with his column: 'I write to you from Gaza.'
L'Osservatore Romano is the daily newspaper of Vatican City.
His most recent column on 8 July was titled 'Love Is Stronger Than War'.
In a video message from his hospital bed, he repeated this message to L'Osservatore Romano's Jerusalem correspondent, Roberto Cetera.
Suhail is a young Catholic student from Gaza, seriously wounded in the Israeli attack on the Holy Family parish on Thursday.
He writes a column for L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See's newspaper.
Although Suhail sustained shrapnel wounds to his internal organs during…
pic.twitter.com/f8fvVMCRXt
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews)
July 19, 2025
He sustained shrapnel wounds to his internal organs during Thursday's attack, but the shrapnel has now been removed and his condition has improved.
He said he is feeling 'much better than yesterday' and thanked people for their prayers and messages.
'I hope I can start my life again and continue my vocation in Italy.'
He added: 'As always, love is stronger than war.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret for the deaths, which he blamed on a 'stray' round after a phone call with US President Donald Trump.
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However, the top Catholic official in the Middle East questioned whether is was a mistake.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, told Vatican News the IDF claimed that the strike by a tank was 'by mistake'.
However, he added:
'We are not sure about this, they hit the church directly.'
Catholic media outlet
The Pillar reports
that a tank was allegedly involved in the attack, and reporters in Gaza have reported that a drone strike had also taken place.
Cardinal Pizzaballa told The Pillar that he is 'not sure' whether the attack was entirely accidental.
In a social media post, Israel claimed it 'never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians'.
Cardinal Pizzaballa also said the church compound had been a
'sanctuary' where people hoped to escape the 'horrors of the war'.
El párroco argentino Gabriel Romanelli fue herido luego de que atacaran la iglesia Sagrada Familia en Gaza. El bombardeo dejó a dos muertos y cuatro heridos.
📹 Vía:
@CatholicArena
pic.twitter.com/aZe1ViGOEx
— Corta (@somoscorta)
July 17, 2025
Yesterday,
he brought with tonnes of food aid, first aid kits and medical equipment for the Holy Family Church community and other families in need.
He also assisted in evacuating people injured in the attack.
Pope Leo XIV spoke to Netanyahu on the phone yesterday morning and is said to have 'repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war'.
'He again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation for the population of Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonising price,' said the Holy See press office.
The late Pope Francis had been in daily contact with the Holy Family Church since 9 October, 2023, two days after the bombings began in Gaza.
Francis continued to hold these calls during his extensive hospitalisation prior to his death in April.
The late pontiff described the parish community as 'very courageous' and he
used his final public address to call for an end to the 'deplorable humanitarian situation' in Gaza.
Francis
also described some Israeli actions in Gaza as 'terrorism' in his memoir.
Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58,765 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
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