Latest news with #churchattack
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Nigerian judge delays trial over 2022 church massacre
On June 5, 2022, gunmen attacked Saint Francis Catholic Church in Nigeria's Ondo state, killing at least 40 worshippers and injuring many others. It was a rare assault in Nigeria's southwest, with jihadist attacks and mass kidnappings typically limited to the country's northeast, where an insurgency has been grinding on for more than a decade. On Tuesday, in what was supposed to be the first day of proceedings, five men charged with carrying out the attack stood before a judge at the Federal High Court in downtown Abuja, dressed in brightly coloured kaftans and shirts. Justice Emeka Nwite granted a request to delay the trial after prosecutors stressed that the attorney general had requested a new lead counsel for the case. Prosecutors also called for witness protection, while the defence said they had been barred from meeting with their clients since their arrest more than three years ago. "I've not been able to meet my clients... in the entire (three) years" they have been detained, until they were arraigned last week, defense counsel A.A. Muhammad told reporters after leaving the court. Since then, Muhammad said the state intelligence department, where the accused have been held in custody, had once again barred him from seeing them. Muhammad said at times he wasn't even sure of their exact whereabouts. The court did not provide a new date for the beginning of the trial. Witness protection 'paramount' At Saint Francis Catholic Church, gunmen hid among the congregants and started shooting during the Sunday service, while others opened fire from the outside. Authorities initially suspected the Islamic State West Africa Province group, which along with rival Boko Haram has been waging an insurgency for years in the country's northeast. Under Nigeria's anti-terrorism law, the men were charged with conspiring and carrying out a "terrorist act" in which they "caused the death of over 40 persons, caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons and caused damage to the church building". Opposing bail for the defendants, the prosecutor argued on Tuesday that the men "have links to foreign terrorist fighters" and could flee the country. He later told reporters that prosecutors will call six witnesses to the stand and that "the protection of those witnesses is of paramount concern". In the courtroom, the five men, who were not handcuffed, were allowed to mingle with supporters, and were later marched out by armed security.
BBC News
11-08-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Owo attack suspects trial dey set to begin after three years
Court for Abuja don fix August 19, 2025 to start di trial of di five suspects wey dey face accuse say dem bin St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo state , South-West, Nigeria. Di five suspects dey face nine count charges of terrorism sake of say dem be di suspects wey bin attack Saint Francis Catholic Church for Owo, Ondo State for 2022. Na ova 40 worshippers bin die for di bombing attack wey wound plenti pipo wen jaguda pipo bin attack di church during Sunday mass. Nigeria govment also accuse dem say dem be members of di Al-Shabab terrorist group wey get branch Kogi State. Di suspects plead not guilty to di nine counts of terrorism wey Nigeria goment sama dem. Justice Emeka Nwite of di Federal High Court, Abuja wey preside ova dia arraignment on Monday 11 August, order di suspects to dey for di Department of State Services [DSS] hand. Dis na di first time dem dey arraign di suspects for court since 2022 and na three years afta di Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor bin tok say dem arrest dem. Di National security Council bin link di attack to collabo wit Islamic State West Africa Province [Iswap]. Former Govnor of Ondo State, di late Rotimi Akeredolu, wey be govnor dat time bin describe di attack as crime against humanity. Im bin tok say di attack, even though e dey terrible, no go stop di indomitable spirit of di pipo of di state as dem dey try to fight insecurity. Di Owo massacre E go hard for pipo to forget di massacre wey happun for Owo, Ondo state south-west Nigeria on Sunday June 5, 2022. Some jaguda pipo carry gun enta di town and attack St Francis Xavier catholic church during Sunday mass. Di Pope dat time, late Francis and former President of Nigeria, late Muhammadu Buhari bin condemn di attack. Police for di state say dem bin don begin investigate di mata and e no tey dem arrest dis suspects wey show face for court.
SBS Australia
18-07-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Condemnation follows strike on Gaza church
The Israeli military has struck Gaza's only Catholic church, killing three people and injuring ten, as hundreds of displaced Palestinians took shelter in the church's compound. The attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church has been confirmed by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, who released this statement. 'This morning, at approximately 10:20am, the Compound of the Holy Family in Gaza, belonging to the Latin Patriarchate, was struck by the Israeli army. ... The people in the Holy Family Compound are people who found in the Church a sanctuary, hoping that the horrors of war might at least spare their lives, after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away." "The Latin Patriarchate strongly condemns this tragedy and this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place. However, this tragedy is not greater or more terrible than the many others that have befallen Gaza. Many other innocent civilians have also been harmed, displaced and killed. Death, suffering and destruction are everywhere." The victims were 60-year-old Saad Salama, the church's janitor, and 84-year-old Foumia Ayyad, who had been receiving psychosocial support from the Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem. A funeral has been held for them, while the third victim remains unnamed. Pope Leo XIV has expressed deep sorrow over the attack, conveying his condolences through Cardinal Pietro Parolin. He is calling for dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace, and spoke of being close to parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, who was slightly wounded. Israel's Foreign Ministry has posted an apology online, stating that a full investigation would be conducted. The Israeli Defence Forces has also acknowledged the strike in a statement. 'An initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review. The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.' Following the attack, US President Donald Trump has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his frustration over the incident. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Trump reacted negatively to the news of the strike. "It was not a positive reaction. He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza, and I understand the Prime Minister agreed to put out a statement... it was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic church. That's what the Prime Minister relayed to the President." The United Nations has also condemned Israel for the strike. Spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Stephanie Tremblay, says attacks on places of worship are unacceptable. 'The secretary-general strongly condemns today's strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, a place of worship and a sanctuary for civilians. Attacks on places of worship are unacceptable. People seeking shelter must be respected and protected, not hit by strikes. Too many lives have already been lost. There's an urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.' Meanwhile, health authorities in Gaza say while the strike on the church killed three people, 24 others have died in other attacks across the territory. Palestine's Deputy Permanent Observer to the United Nations Majed Bamya says the people in Gaza face death every day. "Do you evacuate one more time, forcibly displaced again and again, and get killed on the way? Or stay put and get killed where you are? Every decision they are making while we speak is a life-and-death decision, every single day, every single hour, every single minute. But it is a Russian roulette with a bullet in almost every chamber. Whatever decision you make, most probably, somebody is going to die."
CNA
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Israel PM voices regret after three killed at Catholic church in Gaza
GAZA CITY: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret after Israeli tank fire killed three people at a Catholic church in Gaza on Thursday (Jul 17), blaming a "stray" round for the deaths after a phone call with US President Donald Trump. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said 10 others were also wounded in the attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City - the territory's only Catholic house of worship - including parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli. Witnesses and the Latin Patriarch said a tank shell slammed directly into the church around 10.30am local time (0730 GMT), but the Israeli military later said an initial inquiry "suggests that fragments from a shell ... hit the church mistakenly". Pope Leo XIV said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life at Holy Family, which the late Pope Francis had kept in regular contact with throughout the war between Israel and Hamas militants. Israel's military maintained it made "every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures", while Netanyahu promised an investigation. "Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy," Netanyahu said in a statement. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had called Netanyahu after having "not a positive reaction" to news of the strike. "It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic church, that's what the prime minister relayed to the president," she said. AFP images showed the injured being treated at Gaza City's Al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, with one receiving oxygen and blood while lying under a foil blanket. Father Romanelli could be seen with a bandage around his lower leg. Mourners knelt next to two white body bags laid out on the floor. "In the morning a tank shell targeted us and hit the church, and a number of civilians were killed and wounded," said Shadi Abu Daoud, a displaced man whose 70-year-old mother was killed in the strike. Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed the deaths at the church. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, told Vatican News: "What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF (Israeli military) says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the Church directly." "SERIOUS ACT" The patriarchate, which has jurisdiction for Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus, said it "strongly condemns this strike and this targeting of innocent civilians". The site was sheltering around 600 displaced people, the majority of them children and 54 with special needs. "The people in the Holy Family Compound are people who found in the Church a sanctuary - hoping that the horrors of war might at least spare their lives, after their homes, possessions and dignity had already been stripped away," it said in a statement. Foreign leaders, including from France and Italy, called the attack "unacceptable". Gaza's civil defence agency reported that Israeli strikes elsewhere across the Palestinian territory killed at least 22 people on Thursday. Out of the Gaza Strip's population of more than two million, about 1,000 are Christians. Most of them are Orthodox but according to the Latin Patriarchate, there are about 135 Catholics in the territory. Pope Francis had repeatedly called for an end to the Gaza war, condemning in his final Easter message a day before his death the "deplorable humanitarian situation" in the Palestinian territory. "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE" Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, the head of Catholic charity l'Oeuvre d'Orient, told AFP the raid was "totally unacceptable". "It is a place of worship. It is a Catholic church known for its peaceful attitude, for being a peacemaker. These are people who are at the service of the population," he said. "There was no strategic objective, there were no jihadists in this church. There were families, there were civilians." More than 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's population, displacing most residents at least once and triggering severe shortages of food and other essentials. The war was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58,667 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Netanuyahu apologises after tank fire hit Catholic Church and killed three - after Pope Leo hit out at Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu has issued an apology after earlier tank fire from Israel hit the compound of Gaza 's only Catholic church which claimed the lives of three people. The Israeli President blamed a 'stray' round for the deaths after a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Witnesses and the Latin Patriarch said a tank shell slammed directly into the church around 7:30am, but the Israeli military later said an initial inquiry 'suggests that fragments from a shell... hit the church mistakenly'. Pope Leo XIV said he was 'deeply saddened' by the loss of life at Holy Family, which the late Pope Francis had kept in regular contact with throughout the war between Israel and Hamas militants. 'Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy,' Netanyahu said in a statement. Taking to X, the IDF added: 'An initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. 'The cause of the incident is under review. The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had called Netanyahu after having 'not a positive reaction' to news of the strike. Wounded Palestinians, including Father Jebrail Romanelli, are brought to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital after an Israeli attack targeted the Holy Family Church in eastern Gaza City A mass held for those who lost their lives following the Israeli strike hit the Catholic Holy Family Church, killing three civilians and injuring several others, including Father Gabriel Romanelli, in Gaza City, Gaza on July 17, 2025 'It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic church, that's what the prime minister relayed to the president,' she said. Pope Leo XIV earlier condemned the actions, expressing his 'deep sadness to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack' on the Holy Family Church. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, which oversees the church, told Vatican News it was 'struck by the Israeli army'. '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, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church,' he said. 'We don't have complete information about what has happened in Gaza today because the communication in Gaza is not that simple,' he added. Ten other people were wounded, one of whom is in a critical condition in hospital. The parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, who became a close friend of Pope Francis in the final months of the late pontiff's life, was lightly injured. The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the war. Israel said it has launched an investigation, with the IDF issuing a statement saying it was aware of the reports and casualties at the site. 'The IDF operates to the fullest extent possible to minimize the harm caused to civilians and civilian structures, including religious buildings, and regrets any damage to them,' it added. Pope Leo XIV said he was 'deeply saddened' by the attack and renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in response. In a telegram of condolences for the victims sent by the Vatican's No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Leo expressed 'his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region.' The pope was 'deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack,' and expressed his closeness to the parish priest, the Rev. Romanelli and the entire parish. Romanelli was very close to the late Pope Francis and the two spoke often during the war in Gaza. 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 fatalities and people injured. 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. Italian Prime Minister 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. No military action can justify such an attitude,' she said. 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,' the ministry said. 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 injured 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. 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. Last year, he told CBS' '60 Minutes' that he calls a priest daily at 7 pm at the Holy Family Church to hear what was happening to the nearly 600 people sheltering at the facility. 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. The report says the majority of Palestinian Christians are Greek Orthodox but they also include other Christians, including Roman Catholics. The strikes come as Israel and Hamas continue talks for a ceasefire in Gaza, though little progress has been made. According to an Israeli official familiar with the details, Israel is showing 'flexibility' on some of the issues that have challenged negotiators, including Israeli presence in some of the security corridors the military has carved into the Gaza Strip. 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 prisoners to be freed and commitments to end the war. The official says there are signs of optimism but there won't be a deal immediately. The war began with Hamas' cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. That day, terrorists killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, 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 58,000 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 Hamas fighters 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.
