Strike on Gaza Catholic church kills two, injures several, Patriarchate says
"Two persons were killed as a result of an apparent strike by the Israeli army that hit the Holy Family Compound this morning," the Patriarchate said in a statement.
The Holy Family Church in Gaza spoke in a separate statement of "a number of injured, some in critical condition."
In a telegram for the victims, Pope Leo said he was "deeply saddened" and called for "an immediate ceasefire."
The pope expressed his "profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region," according to the telegram which was signed by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said they were "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," the statement added.
The Patriarchate earlier said the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was among those injured, and his church had sustained damage.
Father Romanelli, an Argentine, used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict via calls and messages. Reuters footage from the hospital showed him to be lightly injured, with a bandaged left leg but able to walk.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the strike on the religious compound.
"The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," she said in a statement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer faces split with Trump as Cabinet ministers 'demand he recognises Palestine as a state immediately'
Keir Starmer is facing major Cabinet pressure to recognise a Palestinian state amid growing horror at Israel 's brutal military action in Gaza. The Prime Minister has so far resisted calls to make a formal move, which is backed by other leaders including France 's Emmanuel Macron. But he is facing internal demands to act after Israel was accused of the 'inhumane killing' of starving civilians queuing for food, according to the Guardian. The UN food agency said the IDF fired on a crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid over the weekend. But formally recognising a Palestinian state, which would include Gaza and the West Bank, would risk a split with Donald Trump. The president, who arrived in Scotland tomorrow for a private visit to his golf courses, a close ally of Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu who has suggested turning Gaza into a tourist resort while evicting its Palestinian population. But there are signs of pressure building for a change in tack. Yesterday Health Secretary Wes Streeting called for recognition of the state of Palestine 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise' as he branded Israel's attacks on healthcare workers as going 'well beyond legitimate self-defence'. Foreign Secretary David Lammy yesterday said Israel could face further sanctions from the UK if it does not agree to a ceasefire, telling broadcasters he feels 'appalled' and 'sickened' by its actions in Gaza. On Monday Mr Lammy and his counterparts from 24 other nations including France, Canada and Australia urged Israel to lift restrictions on the flow of aid into Gaza in a joint statement. He toured broadcast studios on Tuesday morning, after having condemned in the House of Commons the 'grotesque spectacle' which Palestinians have been subject to. Asked by ITV's Good Morning Britain what more he planned to do if Israel did not agree to end the conflict, the Foreign Secretary replied: 'Well, we've announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months. 'There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end. 'It's important that we continue to work with international partners if we are to have the maximum result. 'But what I want to see is a ceasefire and it's my assessment that once the Knesset rises on July 28, we are more likely to see a ceasefire come into effect.' Israel claimed the statement from foreign ministers was 'disconnected from reality' and 'sends the wrong message to Hamas'. Before the Common rose for its summer break yesterday Mr Streeting was asked by Labour backbencher Jas Athwal about reports that Israel has attacked World Health Organisation facilities in Deir al-Balah, compromising operations. The Health Secretary told MPs: 'I deplore Israel's attacks on healthcare workers, as well as other innocent civilians trying to access healthcare or vital aid. 'These actions go well beyond legitimate self-defence and undermine the prospects for peace. 'I will be in touch with the World Health Organisation to offer my support following the intolerable incident yesterday and I sincerely hope that the international community can come together, as the Foreign Secretary has been driving towards, to make sure that we see an end to this war, but also the recognition of the state of Palestine while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise.' Earlier this month Mr Macron used a state visit to the UK to press for recognition of Palestinian statehood in an address to Parliament, saying it was the 'only path to peace'. The French president said a ceasefire was a matter of 'absolute urgency' and that a two-state solution would bring security to the region. In June, Mr Lammy announced that two ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu's government would be subject to sanctions by the UK: Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. The Israeli finance and security ministers were sanctioned for inciting violence against the Palestinians. Mr Lammy later also told BBC Breakfast he was using language not usually employed by a foreign secretary, who is effectively Britain's chief diplomat. Asked for his personal reaction to the scenes in Gaza, the Foreign Secretary told BBC Breakfast: 'I feel the same as the British public: appalled, sickened. I described what I saw, yesterday in Parliament, as grotesque.' He added: 'These are not words that are usually used by a foreign secretary who is attempting to be diplomatic, but when you see innocent children holding out their hand for food, and you see them shot and killed in the way that we have seen in the last few days, of course Britain must call it out.' Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the Government to swiftly bring in new sanctions against Israel. He said: 'The Foreign Secretary must realise that we're past the point of threatening sanctions. We need sanctions now, including against Netanyahu and the IDF generals leading the military campaigns in Gaza. 'Every day the Government sits on its hands, more innocent civilians are being killed while over a million are at risk of starvation. Meanwhile, the hostages held by Hamas are no closer to being freed. This is utterly intolerable.' The Lib Dem leader also insisted the UK must halt all arms sales to Israel, adding: 'That must include stemming the flow of UK fighter jet parts to Israel.' Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Protest against Gaza war prevents Israeli visitors from touring Greek island
A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists left the Greek island of Syros Tuesday without its passengers disembarking, after more than 150 protesters demonstrated at the island's port, unfurling Palestinian flags and calling for an end to the war in Gaza. Carrying banners that read: 'Stop the Genocide' and 'No a/c in hell' — a reference to the conditions Palestinians face in the Gaza Strip — the protesters chanted slogans on the dock near where the cruise ship, the Crown Iris, was docked on Tuesday, local media said. There were no reports of any violence. The ship is operated by an Israeli company, Mano Cruise, which said about 1,700 passengers were on board and it is sailing to Cyprus. Greece's coast guard said the ship set sail at around 3 p.m., earlier than originally scheduled, but did not immediately have any further details. 'The management of Mano Cruise has decided in light of the situation in the city of Syros to now sail to another tourist destination,' the company said in a press release. 'All passengers and crew members are resting and spending time on the ship on their way to the new destination.' Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar contacted his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, over the incident, the Greek foreign ministry confirmed. It did not release any details of their discussion.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
US envoy urges Syria's Sharaa to revise policy or risk fragmentation
BEIRUT, July 22 (Reuters) - A U.S. envoy has urged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach after a new round of sectarian bloodshed last week, or risk losing international support and fragmenting the country. U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack said he had advised Sharaa in private discussions to revisit elements of the pre-war army structure, scale back Islamist indoctrination and seek regional security assistance. In an interview in Beirut, Barrack told Reuters that without swift change, Sharaa risks losing the momentum that once propelled him to power. Sharaa should say: "I'm going to adapt quickly, because if I don't adapt quickly, I'm going to lose the energy of the universe that was behind me," Barrack said. He said Sharaa could "grow up as a president and say, 'the right thing for me to do is not to follow my theme, which isn't working so well.'" Sharaa, leader of a former Al Qaeda offshoot, came to power in Syria after guerilla fighters he led brought down President Bashar al-Assad in December last year after more than 13 years of civil war. Though his own fighters have roots in Sunni Muslim militancy, Sharaa has promised to protect members of Syria's many sectarian minorities. But that pledge has been challenged, first by mass killings of members of Assad's Alawite sect in March, and now by the latest violence in the southwest. Hundreds of people have been reported killed in clashes in the southern province of Sweida between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and Sharaa's own forces. Israel intervened with airstrikes to prevent what it said was mass killing of Druze by government forces. Barrack said the new government should consider being "more inclusive quicker" when it comes to integrating minorities into the ruling structure. But he also pushed back against reports that Syrian security forces were responsible for violations against Druze civilians. He suggested that Islamic State group militants may have been disguised in government uniforms and that social media videos are easily doctored and therefore unreliable. "The Syrian troops haven't gone into the city. These atrocities that are happening are not happening by the Syrian regime troops. They're not even in the city because they agreed with Israel that they would not go in," he said. The U.S. helped broker a ceasefire last week that brought an end to the fighting, which erupted between Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze factions on July 13. Barrack said the stakes in Syria are dangerously high, with no succession plan or viable alternative to the country's new Islamist government. "With this Syrian regime, there is no plan B. If this Syrian regime fails, somebody is trying to instigate it to fail," Barrack said. "For what purpose? There's no successor." Asked if Syria could follow the dire scenarios of Libya and Afghanistan, he said: "Yes, or even worse." The U.S. has said it did not support Israel's airstrikes on Syria. Barrack said the strikes had added to the "confusion" in Syria. Israel says Syria's new rulers are dangerous militants, and has vowed to keep government troops out of the southwest and protect Syria's Druze minority in the area, encouraged by calls from Israel's own Druze community. Barrack said his message to Israel is to have dialogue to alleviate their concerns about Syria's new Sunni leaders and that the U.S. could play the role of an "honest intermediary" to help resolve any concerns. He said Sharaa had signaled from the beginning of his rule that Israel was not his enemy and that he could normalise ties in due time. He said the United States was not dictating what the political format of Syria should be, other than stability, unity, fairness and inclusion. "If they end up with a federalist government, that's their determination. And the answer to the question is, everybody may now need to adapt."
