Deir Al-Bala, Gaza Strip- An Israeli shell criticized the only Catholic Church complex in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing three people and wounding 10 others, including the parish priest, according to church officials. The late Pope Francis, who died in April, spoke to the priest about the situation in the war -moving land.
The bombing of the Holy Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church complex, where hundreds of Palestinians had a 21 -month -old Israeli war. Israel issued a rare apology and said it was achieving.
On Thursday, Pope Liu renewed his call for an immediate fire in response to the attack.
File – Father. Gabriel Romanlli, Priest of the Latin Gaza diocese, left, prays during a Christmas Eve in the Christmas Church of the Catholic Family Monastery in Gaza City, December 24, 2021.
AP Photo/Adel Hana, File
In a telegram of condolences to the victims, Leo expressed his “deep hope for dialogue, reconciliation and permanent peace in the region.” The Pope said that he was “very sad to know the loss of life and the injury caused by the military attack, and he expressed his proximity to the wounded priest, Reverend Gabriel Romane, and the entire parish.
Hundreds of people protected in the church
The church complex was protecting both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Vadel Nim, the acting director of Al -Ahly Hospital, who received the losses.
The 60 -year -old Catholic Charity Calitas said that the 60 -year -old parish gate and a 84 -year -old woman receives psychological and social support inside the Caritas tent in the church complex killed in the attack. The parish priest was slightly injured.
“We were shocked in the church while all people were the elderly, innocent and children.” “We love peace and call for that, and this is a brutal and unjustified act by the Israeli occupation.”
The Israeli army said it was investigating. She “is making every effort to ease harm to civilians and civil structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damages that caused it.”
In a rare move, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published an apology on social media. “Israel expresses deep sadness due to the damage to the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City and any civilian victim,” she said.
Israel has repeatedly hit schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas fighters of shelter at home and blame them in civil deaths. The Palestinians say he had not felt safe since Israel launched its attack in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Italian Prime Minister Giojia Miloni blamed Israel for a strike on the church. “The attacks on the civilian population that Israel has shown for several months is unacceptable,” she said.
Church vehicles have been struck before
Nim said that the church is just a stone’s throw from the Olaya Hospital, noting that the area surrounding the church and the hospital has been hit again and again for more than a week.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, which also has a church in Gaza, which has previously been damaged by Israeli strikes, said that the Church of the Holy Family was protecting 600 people, including many children, and 54 people with disabilities. She said that the building suffered severe damage.
The Church said in a statement that targeting a sacred position “is a flagrant insult to human dignity and a serious violation of the unpopularity of life and the inability of religious sites, which aims to serve as safe havens during war times.”
Separately, another person was killed and 17 was injured on Thursday in a strike against two schools lifting the displaced people in the refugee camp in Burig, in central Gaza, according to Al -Oda Hospital. The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the strike.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that over the past 24 hours, local hospitals have received the bodies of 94 people who were killed in Israeli strikes and injured 367 others.
Pope Francis spoke almost daily with the Gaza Church
In the last eighteen months of his life, Francis was often called the only Catholic Church in the Gaza Strip to see how people wandering at home dealing with a devastating war.
Francis had repeatedly criticized Israel’s behavior in wartime, and last year indicated that the allegations of genocide in Gaza – which Israel rejected as “blood defamation” – should be investigated. The late Pope also met with the Israeli hostages families and called for their release.
Only 1000 Christians live in Gaza, and he is an overwhelming Muslim region, according to the international religious freedom report of the US State Department for the year 2024. Most of them are Greek Orthodox.
The Christian population diminished in the Holy Land in recent decades, as many have migrated to escape war and conflict or search for better opportunities abroad. Local Christian leaders recently condemned the attacks of Israeli settlers and Jewish extremists.
The ceasefire talks continue
There was only clear progress in months of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at a new ceasefire and the hostage agreement, after Israel ended a previous truce in March.
According to an Israeli official familiar with detail, Israel shows “flexibility” on some issues that challenge the negotiators, including the presence of Israel in some of the security corridors that the army carved in the region.
The official, who speaks, said, provided that his identity was not disclosed because they were discussing the ongoing negotiations, that Israel showed some desire to settle on the Morge Corridor, which extends across the south of Gaza. However, there are still other issues, including the list of Palestinian prisoners that will be released by Israel and obligations to end the war.
The official says there are signs of optimism, but there will be no deal immediately.
The militants, led by Hamas, killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the attack on October 7 and kidnapped 251 people, most of whom were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. There are still fifty hostages, less than half of them believe they are alive
The retaliation of Israel has killed more than 5,8600 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which said that women and children were more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its balance.
The ministry is part of the Hamas government runs it, but it is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other international organizations consider their numbers the most reliable war versions.
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Lidman mentioned from Tel Aviv, Israel. Colin Bari contributed to Milan, Joseph Vedraman in Jerusalem and Sally Abu Ajoud in Beirut.
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