Caritas condemns Gaza church attack
International
An attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, which claimed three lives and injured nine people, has prompted Caritas Australia to reiterate its call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
On Thursday July 17 a massacre was narrowly avoided when the church, where displaced civilians were seeking shelter, was hit.
The shelling tragically claimed the lives of Saad Salameh, 60, the parish janitor, who was in the yard at the time of the explosion; Fumayya Ayyad, 84, who was receiving support in a Caritas psychosocial tent; and Najwa Abu Daoud, 69, who was sitting close to Fumayya when the blast sent shrapnel and debris tearing through the area.
The victims were critically wounded and transported to Al-Mamadani Hospital where, due to the severe lack of medical resources and blood units in Gaza, they died.
Caritas Jerusalem staff in Gaza reported that “If Father Gabriel hadn’t warned us to stay indoors, we could have lost 50 to 60 people today”.
“It would have been a massacre,” they said.
Prior to the attack Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest who was also injure, had been urging people to remain inside their rooms as intense nearby shelling and military operations had made the area increasingly dangerous.
“The Holy Family Church was a place of refuge, for families most of them with children and elderly relatives,” said Caritas Australia’s Humanitarian manager Sally Thomas.
“Mrs Fumayya Ayyad was receiving aid in the form of psychosocial support, to help her deal with the ongoing trauma of this brutal war – she died while receiving this aid.
“In the face of this tragedy Caritas Australia reaffirms its calls for a lasting ceasefire to protect all civilian lives, and echoes calls for the upholding of humanitarian laws that seek to protect human life and dignity.”
In a statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said: “We embrace all those in the compound and stand with them in this painful hour, as they bury members of the community. We express our gratitude to all those who are sharing their condolences and sympathy with the Patriarchate and the Church. May our collective prayers bring light to the darkness.”
The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV expressed deep sorrow upon learning of the loss of life and injuries caused by the Israeli armed forces’ attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, that gives shelter to hundreds of civilians of all faiths. His predecessor, Pope Francis, remained in close contact with the parish since the beginning of the war.
Caritas Jerusalem has already endured significant loss, having lost two staff members in October and November 2023 – a lab technician and a pharmacist from the Gaza Health Centre – who were killed along with their children during heavy shelling.
To support Caritas Australia’s Gaza Crisis Appeal, visit www.caritas.org.au/gaza or call 1800 024 413 toll free.
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