logo
#

Latest news with #OmarAlQattaa

Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church kills 3
Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church kills 3

News24

time17-07-2025

  • Politics
  • News24

Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church kills 3

Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP An Israeli strike hit Gaza's only Catholic church, killing three civilians and wounding 10, including a priest. The church was sheltering around 600 displaced people, many of them children and people with special needs. Israel said it does not target religious sites and is investigating the incident, which drew international condemnation. An Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church killed three people on Thursday, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said, as Israel said it 'never targets' religious sites and regretted any harm to civilians. Pope Leo XIV said he was 'deeply saddened' by the loss of life, which a witness said was the result of a tank shell hitting the church. AFP footage showed those injured being treated at Gaza City's Al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, with one receiving oxygen and blood while lying under a foil blanket. Mourners knelt next to two white body bags laid out on the floor. 'In the morning, a tank shell targeted us and hit the church, and a number of civilians were killed and wounded,' said Shadi Abu Daoud, a displaced man whose 70-year-old mother was killed in the strike. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem named the dead as Najwa Abu Daoud, Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh and Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad. 'This morning, at approximately 10:20 am (0720 GMT), the Compound of the Holy Family in Gaza... was struck by the Israeli army,' it said in a statement. 'As of this hour, three individuals lost their lives as a result of the injuries sustained and 10 others were wounded,' including the community's parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, it added, revising a previous toll of two. Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP An AFP photograph showed Father Romanelli with a bandage around his lower leg at Al-Ahli Hospital. Gaza civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal confirmed that three people were killed in an Israeli strike on the church in Gaza City, with which the late Pope Francis kept regular contact through the war. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, told Vatican News that: 'What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the church directly'. 'Serious act' The patriarchate, which has jurisdiction for Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus, said it 'strongly condemns this strike and this targeting of innocent civilians'. The site was sheltering around 600 displaced people, the majority of them children and 54 with special needs. A statement read: The people in the Holy Family Compound are people who found in the church a sanctuary - hoping that the horrors of war might at least spare their lives, after their homes, possessions and dignity had already been stripped away. It came as Gaza's civil defence agency reported that Israeli strikes elsewhere across the Palestinian territory killed at least 22 people. Israel expressed 'deep sorrow' over the damage and civilian casualties, adding that the military was investigating, as foreign leaders, including those from France and Italy, called the strike 'unacceptable'. 'Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or uninvolved civilians,' the Israeli foreign ministry said on X. Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty. The IDF is examining this incident, the circumstances of which are still unclear, and the results of the investigation will be published transparently. Israel never… — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) July 17, 2025 Out of the Gaza Strip's population of more than two million, about 1 000 are Christians. Most of them are Orthodox, but according to the Latin Patriarchate, there are about 135 Catholics in the territory. Pope Francis repeatedly called for an end to the war, which erupted in October 2023. In his final Easter message, a day before his death on 21 April, he condemned the 'deplorable humanitarian situation' in the Palestinian territory. 'Totally unacceptable' Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, the head of Catholic charity l'Oeuvre d'Orient, told AFP the raid was 'totally unacceptable'. He said: It is a place of worship. It is a Catholic church known for its peaceful attitude and for being a peacemaker. These are people who are at the service of the population. 'There was no strategic objective, there were no jihadists in this church. There were families, there were civilians.' More than 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's population, displacing most residents at least once and triggering severe shortages of food and other essentials. The war was triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1 219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58 667 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.

A West Bank incursion, a Bali sunrise and Brad Pitt: Photos of the day
A West Bank incursion, a Bali sunrise and Brad Pitt: Photos of the day

The Guardian

time10-06-2025

  • Politics
  • The Guardian

A West Bank incursion, a Bali sunrise and Brad Pitt: Photos of the day

Mourners gather by the body of the Palestinian photojournalist Moamen Abu Alouf, who was killed with three paramedics during an Israeli bombardment Photograph: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images A girl mourns over the body of one of the three paramedics killed in the attack Photograph: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images Israeli soldiers take aim during a raid in the old town Photograph: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images Women hold up signs during a ceremony to apologise to survivors of Catholic moral rehabilitation institutes, where thousands of women and girls suffered harsh treatment during the Franco dictatorship Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters Military police remove climate activists protesting outside the lower house of parliament Photograph: Yara Nardi/Reuters Smoke billows from the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire 78 nautical miles out of port Photograph: Indian Coast Guard/AFP/Getty Images The Colombian senator Paloma Valencia cries at a mass for her colleague, Miguel Uribe, who is in a critical condition after being shot at a campaign rally Photograph: Iván Valencia/AP A resident look at the damage caused to an apartment building by a Russian drone strike Photograph: Nina Liashonok/Reuters A holds up signs in support of Donald Trump while people take part in an ICE Out of Austin protest Photograph:A protester takes part in a demonstration against the Trump administration's immigration raids Photograph: Ethan Swope/AP The K-pop band BTS's members RM (left) and V react after being discharged from military service Photograph: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Members of the Coldstream Guards board a train at King's Cross station bound for Scotland, where they will mark the 375th anniversary of the regiment's foundation Photograph:Brad Pitt attends a photocall for F1: The Movie at Toreo Parque Central Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Anglers fishing at sunrise Photograph: Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP/Getty Images

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store