ASIA/HOLY LAND - Dead and injured in Israeli attack on Catholic parish in Gaza

Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – This morning, Thursday, July 17, around 10:30 a.m., the Latin Catholic parish of the Holy Family in Gaza was hit by a raid carried out by the Israeli army. According to a statement released this afternoon by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, three people have lost their lives due to their injuries, and another nine were wounded — one in critical condition and two seriously.
The parish priest, Gabriel Romanelli, a missionary of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, was also slightly injured. The church itself was also hit.

Before October 7, as Parish Priest Fr. Romanelli recently recalled, there were 1,017 Christians living in Gaza. Following the start of Israeli military operations, the parish compound became a place of refuge for at least 500 remaining Christians.

According to the statement from the Patriarchate, the people living near the Holy Family compound "had found refuge in the church, hoping that the horrors of war could at least spare their lives, after their homes, their possessions, and their dignity had already been taken from them."

The Latin Patriarchate further emphasized: "This tragedy is no greater or more terrible than many others that have hit Gaza. Many other innocent civilians have been injured, displaced, and killed. Death, suffering, and destruction are everywhere.
It is time for leaders to raise their voices and do everything possible to stop this tragedy, which is both humanly and morally unjustifiable."

This morning, the Israeli military also carried out intense bombings on displacement camps. According to reports from the Ambamed news site, at least 21 civilians, mostly children, were killed in the early part of the day alone.

Yesterday, at least 94 Palestinian civilians were killed and 252 others wounded. Meanwhile, Israeli media have reported at least four suicides in the past two weeks among Israeli soldiers who had returned from military operations in the Gaza Strip.

Pope Leo XIV "was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza," is what was stated in a telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State on behalf of the Pontiff, who "conveyed his spiritual closeness to the parish priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, as well as to the entire parish community."

"In commending the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, the Holy Father prays for the consolation of those who grieve and for the recovery of the injured. His Holiness renews his call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region." (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 17/7/2025)

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