17-07-2025
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem questions Israel's narrative that Gaza church strike was accidental
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has questioned Israel's official narrative that it "never targets" religious sites after it struck the Holy Family church in Gaza on Thursday morning.
The Cardinal told Vatican News that: "What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the Church directly".
He named the three people who died after Israel struck a church in Gaza, as Najwa Abu Daoud, Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh and Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad on Thursday.
Ayyad, an 84-year-old woman, was receiving psychological support at the church, The Guardian reported.
At least 600 people were sheltering at the church, mostly children and 54 with special needs, the AFP reported.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has jurisdiction over Catholics in Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, and Cyprus.
