Early Thursday morning, two elderly Palestinians were killed and others were injured, including Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family Church, as a result of an Israeli bombardment that targeted the church east of Gaza City.
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the Civil Defense in Gaza, told reporters at the Baptist Hospital: "Two martyrs were killed in the Israeli attack on the Holy Family Church, after they were in critical condition."
He added, "The two martyrs are Saad Salama, aged around 60, and Fumia Ayyad, aged around 80, and they were killed as a result of the Israeli raid that directly hit the church."
Basal continued, "We bid farewell to two of our Christian brothers who committed no crime. The occupation does not differentiate between anyone; it targets Christians and Muslims, churches and mosques."
He pointed out that the targeted church is known to house approximately 400 displaced Christians who sought refuge there after Israel destroyed their homes during the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.
He explained that the displaced people believed the church was a safe place, but unfortunately, it was targeted by Israeli occupation forces for the third time since the beginning of the war.
Basal called on the international community and human rights organizations to "take urgent action to protect civilians," asking in condemnation, "Why are these people being killed? The world must shoulder its responsibility to protect civilians."
It's worth noting that the Holy Family Church is the only Catholic church in Gaza City. It served as a shelter for Christians and Muslims during the war, before being subjected to Israeli bombing, which caused extensive damage.
Dozens of martyrs in the north and center of the Gaza Strip
The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported on Thursday that eight Palestinians were killed and others were seriously injured in the Al-Tawam area, north of the Gaza Strip.
WAFA also reported early today that dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured in Israeli shelling of several areas in the Gaza Strip.
She added that a Palestinian man , his wife, and their five children were killed when Israeli warplanes targeted a house in Jabalia al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip.
In the Nuseirat refugee camp, four Palestinians were killed and others were injured in an artillery attack that targeted a group of Palestinians near the Abu Odeh olive press on Salah al-Din Street, east of the camp. Four other Palestinians were killed and others were injured when the occupation forces bombed a tent housing displaced people inside the Abu Helou School in the al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. In addition, a Palestinian was killed and others were injured when the occupation forces bombed a gathering of citizens near the Bahloul station in the al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City, according to WAFA.
The agency said that a number of Palestinians were injured in the occupation's bombing of the Al-Barakah area, south of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The genocide left more than 198,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and famine claimed the lives of many, including children, as well as widespread destruction.
