Palestinian church affairs committee condemns 'Israeli' strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church

The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine expressed deep alarm on Thursday over the 'Israeli' airstrike that hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, injuring several people, including parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli, and causing extensive damage to the historic Catholic site.

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In a strongly worded statement, the committee denounced the strike as “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the sanctity of religious sites.” It warned that such attacks pose “a direct threat to the authentic Christian presence in the Holy Land” and reiterated that targeting churches and other religious institutions “under any pretext is unacceptable and reprehensible.”

The Holy Family Church, which belongs to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, serves as a spiritual and humanitarian hub for Gaza’s small Catholic community.

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The committee urged the international community and human rights organizations to act immediately to protect places of worship in the Gaza Strip and to stop “the ongoing assaults targeting civilians and holy sites alike.”

It also pledged to continue coordinating with local churches and relevant institutions to follow up on the situation until all details of the strike are fully clarified.