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Two dead and several injured after Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church

Two dead and several injured after Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church

Independent6 days ago
Two people have been killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church, according to church officials.
A man and a woman died, and several people were wounded in "an apparent strike by the Israeli army" on Gaza's Holy Family Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.
The Holy Family Church is the only Catholic church inside the besieged Palestinian enclave.
"We pray that their souls rest (in peace) and for an end to this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians," said the Patriarchate, which oversees the church.
In a telegram for the victims signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, Pope Leo said he was "deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack."
He "assures the parish priest, father Gabriele Romanelli, and the whole parish community of his spiritual closeness," the telegram said.
The Pope renewed his "call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region."
Among those injured was Father Gabriele Romanelli, an Argentine, who used to regularly update Francis about the war ravaging Gaza. He suffered light leg injuries, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said.
The church was sheltering both Christians and Muslims, including several children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the wounded.
At least two people were in critical condition, and others injured included one child with disabilities, two women, and an elderly person, Mr Naem said.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem added that the church had sustained damage.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the attack.
She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'Israeli raids on Gaza also hit the Holy Family Church.
'The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such behaviour.'
A spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it was 'aware of reports regarding damage caused to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and casualties at the scene. The circumstances of the incident are under review.'
'The IDF makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them,' its statement added.
The church is just a stone's throw from Al-Ahli Hospital, Mr Naem said, noting that the area around both the church and the hospital has been repeatedly struck for over a week.
Only 1,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly Muslim territory, according to the US State Department's international religious freedom report for 2024. The report says the majority of Palestinian Christians are Greek Orthodox, but they also include other Christians, including Roman Catholics.
In the last 18 months of his life, Francis would often call the lone Catholic church in the Gaza Strip to see how people huddled inside were coping with a devastating war.
Francis called the only Catholic church in the strip hours after the war in Gaza began in October 2023. It marked the start of what the Vatican News Service would describe as a nightly routine throughout the war.
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‘My sister is forced to feed her children grass in Gaza, while in London my son spits out his peas.'
‘My sister is forced to feed her children grass in Gaza, while in London my son spits out his peas.'

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

‘My sister is forced to feed her children grass in Gaza, while in London my son spits out his peas.'

I spoke to my 75-year-old mother in Gaza just days ago. Her voice trembled – not just from fear this time, but from the sheer weight of hunger. She told me that my brother and nephew had returned to Jabalia, where our family home once stood before it was reduced to rubble by Israeli bombs. They had remembered that there were three cans of beans somewhere beneath the wreckage – left behind in the chaos of displacement. So they made a decision: to go back. From nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, under the scorching July sun, they dug. With bare hands. In an area still designated by the Israeli military as a 'combat zone'. They knew they could be shot. They knew the air could be torn apart at any moment by a drone strike. But they had no choice. They were starving. And this is what it has come to: Palestinians risking death to dig through the ruins of their own homes, not to bury the dead, but to unearth a few cans of beans. 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Ministers urged to help students trapped in Gaza with places at UK universities
Ministers urged to help students trapped in Gaza with places at UK universities

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

Ministers urged to help students trapped in Gaza with places at UK universities

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She said: 'As a midwife living and working in Gaza, I have witnessed the unimaginable: mothers giving birth under fire, newborns taking their first breath in shelters, and health professionals struggling to provide care with little more than courage and commitment.' She told the Guardian the government must act as a matter of urgency. 'We need them to be faster making the decisions that we are waiting for. Give us the biometric waiver that we want and facilitate our safe passage. We are running out of time. 'I carry with me the hopes of countless women and colleagues back in Gaza. When I return, I plan to lead maternal health research in Palestine. I want to train a new generation of midwives in evidence-based, trauma-informed care, so that even in crisis, childbirth can be safe and dignified.' 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I've been an SNP MP at Westminster for 1 year. Here's what it's like
I've been an SNP MP at Westminster for 1 year. Here's what it's like

The National

time2 hours ago

  • The National

I've been an SNP MP at Westminster for 1 year. Here's what it's like

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The Westminster estate itself is huge, covering many acres and employing more than 15,000 people in the palace area alone. This army of staffers, advisers, lobbyists, journalists and others must be fed easily and quickly throughout the day – that is no mean feat. Thanks to the efforts of our chief whip, the nine SNP MPs were allocated offices quickly, a great blessing. The next task was to find and recruit a small team to handle the huge volume of casework, diary commitments and tasks that every MP must deliver for their constituents. Additionally, a constituency office was also required and we were able to secure this early thanks to the efforts of my team leader. We will soon be having a small reception at the office to mark my first year. It's a fortunate MP who secures the services of an excellent team, and I have. They represent a great mix of experience and youth and their enthusiasm for the task never ceases to amaze me. 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