Latest news with #FatherGabrielRomanelli
CTV News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Israeli strike hits Gaza church, killing 3 and wounding priest who was close to Pope Francis
Father Gabriel Romanelli, Latin parish priest of Gaza Strip, left, prays during the midnight Christmas Eve mass at Deir Al Latin Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City, Dec. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip -- An Israeli shell slammed into the compound of the only Catholic church 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, had regularly spoken to the priest about the situation in the war-ravaged territory. The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the 21-month Israel-Hamas war. Israel issued a rare apology and said it was investigating. Pope Leo XIV on Thursday renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in response to the attack. In a telegram of condolences for the victims, Leo expressed 'his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region.' The pope said he was 'deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack,' and expressed his closeness to the wounded priest, Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, and the entire parish. Hundreds of people sheltered at the church The church compound was sheltering both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the casualties. The Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem said the parish's 60-year-old janitor and an 84-year-old woman receiving psychosocial support inside a Caritas tent in the church compound were killed in the attack. Parish priest Romanelli was lightly wounded. 'We were struck in the church while all the people there were elders, innocent people and children,' said Shady Abu Dawood, whose mother was wounded by shrapnel to her head. 'We love peace and call for it, and this is a brutal, unjustified action by the Israeli occupation.' The Israeli military said it was investigating. It said it 'makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them.' In a rare move, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted an apology on social media. 'Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty,' it said. Israel has repeatedly struck schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them for civilian deaths. Palestinians say nowhere has felt safe since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the strike on the church. 'The attacks on the civilian population that Israel has been demonstrating for months are unacceptable,' she said. Church compounds have been struck before The church is just a stone's throw from Al-Ahli Hospital, Naem said, noting that the area around both the church and the hospital has been repeatedly struck for over a week. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which also has a church in Gaza that previously sustained damage from Israeli strikes, said the Holy Family Church was sheltering 600 displaced people, including many children, and 54 people with disabilities. It said the building suffered significant damage. Targeting a holy site 'is a blatant affront to human dignity and a grave violation of the sanctity of life and the inviolability of religious sites, which are meant to serve as safe havens during times of war,' the Church said in a statement. Separately, another person was killed and 17 wounded Thursday in a strike against two schools sheltering displaced people in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Al-Awda Hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike. The Gaza Health Ministry said that over the past 24 hours, local hospitals received the bodies of 94 people killed in Israeli strikes and another 367 wounded. Pope Francis spoke almost daily with Gaza church 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 had repeatedly criticized Israel's wartime conduct, and last year suggested that allegations of genocide in Gaza -- which Israel has rejected as a 'blood libel' -- should be investigated. The late pope also met with the families of Israeli hostages and called for their release. Only 1,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly Muslim territory, according to the U.S. State Department's international religious freedom report for 2024. Most are Greek Orthodox. The Holy Land's Christian population has dwindled in recent decades as many have emigrated to escape war and conflict or to seek better opportunities abroad. Local Christian leaders have recently denounced attacks by Israeli settlers and Jewish extremists. Ceasefire talks continue There has been little visible progress in months of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement, after Israel ended an earlier truce in March. According to an Israeli official familiar with the details, Israel is showing 'flexibility' on some of the issues that have challenged negotiators, including Israel's presence in some of the security corridors the military has carved into the territory. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations, said Israel has shown some willingness to compromise on the Morag Corridor, which cuts across southern Gaza. However, other issues remain, including the list of Palestinian prisoners to be freed by Israel and commitments to end the war. The official says there are signs of optimism but there won't be a deal immediately. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other international organizations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties. ------ By Wafaa Shurafa And Melanie Lidman Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Colleen Barry in Milan, Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Israel strikes Gaza Catholic church, killing three
GAZA CITY, July 17 (Reuters) - An Israeli strike on Gaza's sole Catholic Church killed three people and injured several others, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the small parish, said on Thursday. The Patriarchate condemned "this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place," saying two women and one man had died in the attack on the Holy Family Church. "This horrific war must come to a complete end," it said, adding that the victims had turned to the church compound as a safe haven "after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away." The Holy Family Church 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 and made no mention of Israel. The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement on X that the results of the investigation would be published. It also said the country did not target churches or religious sites and regretted harm to them or civilians. 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. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg. 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.
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Pope Leo calls for ceasefire after Israeli strike hits Gaza Catholic church
Pope Leo has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after an Israeli air strike killed two people at a Catholic church in the enclave that Pope Francis used to call every night for updates on the conflict. Fourteen were also injured in the attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza city, including parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli. 'His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza," a statement by the pontiff said. "His Holiness renews his call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and enduring peace in the region." Two people died and the church sustained "extensive damage" in the attack, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said. "Targeting a holy site currently sheltering approximately 600 displaced persons, the majority of whom are children and 54 people with special needs, is a flagrant violation of human dignity and a blatant violation of the sanctity of life and the sanctity of religious sites," the Patriarchate of Jerusalem said. "The bombing destroyed large parts of the complex, and those with special needs were forced to evacuate the area, some of whom were unable to receive the respirators they rely on for survival." Father Carlos Ferrero, a priest at the church, confirmed to The National that two had died and said 14 were wounded. 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". "The circumstances of the incident are under review," it added. "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 Israeli foreign ministry issued a statement on X saying the "results of the investigation will be published transparently". "Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians," it added. Sister Nabila Saleh, who led the Rosary Sisters School in the church compound before poor health forced her to leave the territory last year, said the Israelis "bombarded the church directly". 'There was an attack this morning and four people are hurt,' she told The National from Jordan. She spoke to a parish priest in Gaza on Thursday morning, who confirmed the strike and injuries. In the wake of the strike, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: "Attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such behaviour.' Italy's Ansa news agency reported that six people were seriously injured, while Father Romanelli, who used to update the late pope on the war, suffered minor leg injuries. Earlier, Sister Nabila told The National that Francis used to call the church every day. On most days, priests and parishioners said the calls lasted about 15 minutes, during which the pontiff would speak to church leaders and Palestinians sheltering at the church. The gesture, for Palestinians, became a daily reminder that Gaza was not forgotten. Pope Francis was unwavering in his stance on the Gaza war. He was one of the most consistent global voices calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted access for aid. The attack is the second time the church compound has been hit in Israeli attacks since the war began. 'It is a very terrible situation,' Sister Saleh told The National. 'I know the situation is bad because they don't have the possibility to respond because of the bombing.' She recalled fear among parishioners in 2023 when she lived in the church compound as Israeli snipers shot dead two women walking from the church to a convent building. 'I'm very scared and anxious,' she said. 'Every day we pray for the people in the church.' The Roman Catholic Church condemned the December 2023 attack that killed two parishioners. The Israeli army denied its snipers were involved. The Roman Catholic Church has often called for an end to the Gaza war. At least 17 people were killed in a separate incident in October 2023 when Israeli bombs hit the nearby historic Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israeli attack on church in Gaza injures priest Pope Francis called daily
Israeli strikes have hit the only Catholic church in Gaza, injuring several people including the parish priest – who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope Francis – and drawing condemnation from the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. 'The Holy Family church in Gaza has been struck by a raid this morning,' the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. 'There are several injuries in the place, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Currently there are no fatalities confirmed. The church sustained damage.' Before his death in April, the former pope would call Romanelli, an Argentinian, every evening to discuss the war in Gaza. He began the routine on 9 October 2023, two days after the attacks on Israel by Hamas, as a way to express solidarity during the conflict. Witnesses said the church appeared have been hit by Israeli tank shelling. The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Israel Defense Forces said they were looking into the matter. In a statement, Meloni said: 'The Israeli raids on Gaza have 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 an attitude.' The church was sheltering Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of al-Ahli Arab hospital, which received the wounded. At least two people were left in a critical condition, Naem said, and among the others injured were a child with disabilities, two women and an elderly person. Dozens of Palestinians were killed and wounded during Israeli airstrikes on several areas of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including four who were killed in an attack on a home close to the Imam al'Shafi'i school in al-Zeitoun, a district south-east of Gaza City. After Francis's death, Romanelli, who has served as the parish priest since 2019, told the Guardian: 'Even after he was hospitalised, he continued calling to check on us. Our grief is deep because we lost someone we felt had become a member of our church.' Francis was a strong advocate of bringing the war to an end. In his last public address on Easter Sunday, he condemned the 'deplorable humanitarian situation' in Gaza and implored Israel and Hamas to 'call for a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people, that aspires to a future of peace'.
