This came according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to an Israeli bombing that targeted the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, which left two Christian martyrs and several others injured.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned "in the strongest terms the Israeli occupation's bombing of the Latin Church in Gaza City, which resulted in a number of martyrs and injuries and severe damage to the church building."
It considered this a "full-fledged crime that falls within the framework of the genocide committed by the occupation against all forms of human life in the Gaza Strip, including the deliberate targeting of places of worship, hospitals, schools, and shelters," and called on "all international parties to assume their responsibilities in providing international protection for our people."
"A crime against places of worship"
For its part, Hamas considered Israel's targeting of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, despite it housing displaced persons, a "crime against places of worship."
The movement added in a statement: "Targeting the church represents a new crime committed by the occupation against places of worship and innocent displaced persons, and comes within the context of the comprehensive war of extermination against our Palestinian people in all its components." It explained that "the enemy's continued heinous massacres, its policy of starving our people in Gaza, the killing of innocent civilians, and the targeting of mosques, churches, hospitals, bakeries, water wells, and all civilian facilities constitute flagrant war crimes."
The movement called for "a serious stance by the international community and the United Nations in confronting these ongoing and unprecedented crimes," demanding "immediate action to halt the barbaric aggression and hold the occupation leaders accountable for their crimes against humanity."
deep sadness
For his part, Pope Leo XIV expressed his deep sorrow over the Israeli strike on the church in Gaza, calling for an "immediate ceasefire."
"His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injuries resulting from the military attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza," the Vatican's foreign minister said in a Telegram post.
The post stated that the Pope "renews his call for an immediate ceasefire and expresses his great hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace in the region," without mentioning Israel.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemned Israel's bombing of the church, stressing that its attacks on Palestinian civilians are "unacceptable and unjustifiable."
“ A rejected and condemned act”
In the same context, the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine condemned, on Thursday, the Israeli bombing of the Holy Family Church, affiliated with the Latin Patriarchate, in Gaza City.
The committee said in a press statement today, reported by the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA), that it "is following with concern the occupation's shelling of the church, which resulted in a number of injuries, including the church's pastor, Gabriel Romanelli, in addition to severe damage to the church building."
She stressed that "targeting churches and religious institutions under any pretext is an unacceptable and condemnable act, and constitutes a direct threat to the authentic Christian presence in the Holy Land." She called on the international community and human rights organizations to "take urgent action to ensure the protection of places of worship in the Gaza Strip and put an end to the attacks targeting civilians and holy sites alike."
Earlier Thursday, Israeli shelling killed two Palestinians and injured others. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed in a statement that the Holy Family Church in Gaza City was subjected to an Israeli attack that injured several Palestinians, including Father Romanelli, the parish priest.
In contrast, the Israeli occupation army acknowledged the bombing of the church and expressed its "regret for the resulting damage," according to its statement. It said, "The Israeli army has been informed of reports of damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and injuries at the scene," adding that it is "conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the incident."
The church is one of the oldest Christian religious centers in the Gaza Strip, and since the outbreak of the war, it has become a haven for civilians, particularly Christian families facing displacement and siege.
During the Israeli genocide in Gaza, the Israeli army bombed three churches: the Church of St. Porphyrius, the Church of the Holy Family, and the Baptist Church.
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.
For 18 years, Israel has been besieging Gaza, leaving approximately 1.5 million Palestinians out of a population of approximately 2.4 million in the Strip homeless after their homes were destroyed in the war of extermination.
