TEHRAN – Israeli occupation regime fatal bombardment of the Catholic Church in Gaza has sparked widespread condemnation.
Pope Leo called for an immediate ceasefire after a strike in the occupation that destroyed the only Catholic Church on Palestinian territory.
The attack killed three civilians and injured more than dozens of people, including a parish priest, a two-year-old child and a person with a disability.
Among the dead were an 84-year-old woman receiving trauma care in a Caritas tent and a 60-year-old janitor who had worked at the church for decades.
The Holy Family Church, also known as the Latin Monastery Church, displaced more than 600 displaced people, primarily women, children and the elderly.
The Senior Presidential Commission for Palestinian Church Affairs has denounced the strike as “a severe sign of a systematic policy of blasphemous sec targeting both civilians and places of worship without considering international law, religious sanctity, or basic human values.”
The occupied Latin patriarchy of Al-Kud (Jerusalem), who oversees the Parish of Gaza, said “this horrific war must be over in full,” adding that the victims were “directed towards the church complex as a safe haven after their homes, possessions and dignity had already been exposed.”
Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, head of the Catholic charity L’Oeuvre D’Orient, accused the attack of “completely unacceptable.”
“It’s a place of worship. It’s a Catholic church known for being a peaceful attitude and being a peace overseer,” Golnisch told AFP.
“These are people who serve the population. They had families, they had civilians.”
The church has long been a symbol of shelter. Before his death in April, Pope Francis personally called members of the congregation each night to check their safety.
Hamas denounced the strike as “a new crime against places of worship and innocent displaced people,” calling it a part of the “comprehensive war of extinction against the Palestinians.”
This latest bombing is part of a wider pattern. Most of Gaza’s mosques are historic, with many mosques still in use every day, but have already been leveled by Israeli airstrikes. The minaret fell. The prayer hall burned. Many were destroyed with their whole family still inside.
Religious leaders say this is not just the destruction of buildings, but also the destruction of people’s identities and faith.
Currently there are no safe spaces in Gaza. It’s not a church, it’s not a mosque, it’s a school or a hospital.
The United Nations and experts of international legal and human rights groups have warned that these ongoing attacks, particularly in private shelters, places of worship and health sectors, are no coincidence.
They argue that the strike not only eliminates Gaza’s population, but also reflects a systematic campaign to ensure that the territory is uninhabited in the Palestinian population.
Dozens of civilians were killed on Friday by “clawed drone missiles” from Almawasi, where the massacres are said to have been repeated.
This is the process of genocide in the US-backed Israeli regime, and is exempt from a deliberate manner.