Pope ‘deeply saddened' after two people killed in strike on Gaza's only Catholic church
Calling the strike a 'military attack,' the Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said: 'In commending the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, the Holy Father prays for the consolation of those who grieve and for the recovery of the injured.'
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which has jurisdiction for Latin-rite Catholics in Gaza, said the two people were killed after Gaza's Holy Family Church was struck by Israel on Thursday morning.
'With deep sorrow, the Latin Patriarchate can now confirm that 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 Israeli military said it was 'aware of reports regarding damage caused to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and casualties at the scene,' adding that 'the circumstances of the incident are under review.'
'The (Israel Defense Forces) makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them,' it said.
The two killed were named as Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh and Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, the patriarchate said.
'We pray for the rest of their souls and for the end of this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians,' its statement read.
Funerals for both of the deceased will take place at Gaza City's Saint Porphyrios Orthodox Church on Thursday afternoon, the church said in a post on Facebook.
'His Holiness renews his call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region,' Pope Leo's telegram continued.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
3 hours ago
- Axios
Senior Israeli and Syrian officials hold U.S.-brokered talks on de-escalation
Senior Israeli and Syrian ministers met in Paris for four hours on Thursday under the auspices of President Trump's special envoy Tom Barrack and discussed de-escalation of tensions between the countries. Why it matters: The meeting that was brokered by the Trump administration was the most high-level official engagement between Israel and Syria in more than 25 years. It was the first meeting between the parties since the crisis erupted last week in the city of Suwayda in southern Syria last week and the Israeli strikes on Damascus that followed. Flashback: The last time a meeting on such high-level took place was in 2000 when president Clinton hosted then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and then-Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Sharaa at Shepherdstown as part of an effort to reach a peace deal between the countries. Driving the news: The meeting in Paris was attended from the Israeli side by the minister for strategic affairs and Netanyahu's confidant Ron Dermer and from the Syrian side foreign minister Assad al-Sheibani, two Israeli officials said. The goal of the summit was to reach security understandings regarding southern Syria in order to maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria and prevent a crisis like the one last week, Israeli officials said. "I met this evening with the Syrians and Israelis in Paris. Our goal was dialogue and de-escalation, and we accomplished precisely that. All parties reiterated their commitment to continuing these efforts," Barrack wrote on X. The Israeli government hopes that beyond the issue of security arrangements on the border, the summit in France "will lead to more Syrian willingness to move forward with Israel on diplomatic steps as well," a senior Israeli official said. Behind the scenes: This semi-public meeting in Paris followed numerous secret meetings between Israeli and Syrian officials over the past several months. After the collapse of the Assad regime, Israel and the Turkish government that backed the new Syrian authorities held talks on military deconfliction is Syria and established a hotline between the Israel Defense Forces and the Turkish military to prevent clashes in Syrian airspace, Israeli officials said. During these talks the head of Turkish intelligence Ibrahim Kalin proposed to the Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi to invite Syrian officials to join the meetings. The Israelis agreed and Hanegbi met several time with the Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Baku, Israeli officials said. In recent weeks, as Trump's envoy Barrack became more involved in the efforts to reach an Israeli-Syrian security agreement that would be a first step toward normalization, the decision was made that Dermer would join the talks. Israeli officials say Dermer is in charge of the Netanyahu Government's engagement with the White House. The conclusion in Israel was that in order for the Syrians to move toward normalization there would have to be U.S. incentives and Dermer was tasked with developing them. After the crisis in Sweida last week, Barrack decided it was a good time to hold a trilateral meeting with Dermer and Sheibani.
Washington Post
9 hours ago
- Washington Post
Trump envoy Witkoff says US cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks, bringing home negotiating team
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday the U.S. is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing home its negotiating team from Qatar for consultations after the latest response from Hamas 'shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.' 'While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,' Witkoff said. 'We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.' He said it was 'a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way' and that the U.S. is 'resolute' in seeking an end to the conflict in Gaza. A breakthrough in talks on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has eluded the Trump administration for months as conditions worsen in Gaza . The territory recently had its deadliest day yet for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war, with at least 85 Palestinians killed while trying to reach food Sunday. The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place. Earlier Thursday, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu's office recalled his country's negotiating team back to Israel in light of Hamas' response. In a brief statement, the prime minister's office expressed its appreciation for the efforts of Witkoff and mediators Qatar and Egypt, but it gave no further details. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce. The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the war until Hamas gives up power and disarms, a condition the militant group rejects. The State Department said earlier in the week that Witkoff would be traveling to the Middle East for talks, but U.S. officials later said that Witkoff would instead travel to Europe. It was unclear if he was holding meetings there Thursday. ___ Associated Press writers Josef Federaman and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Associated Press
Trump envoy Witkoff says US cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks, bringing home negotiating team
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday the U.S. is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing home its negotiating team from Qatar for consultations after the latest response from Hamas 'shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.'
