Jerusalem Patriarchate condemns attack on Holy Family Church in Gaza
The Patriarchate has called on the UN to protect churches and humanitarian centers in Gaza and reminded the international community of the inadmissibility of attacks on civilians.
On July 17, 2025, the Jerusalem Patriarchate issued an official statement in response to an Israeli airstrike on the Holy Family Church, which belongs to the Latin Patriarchate of the Roman Catholic Church in Gaza. The statement was reported by Orthodoxia News Agency.
According to the Patriarchate, around 600 people were inside the church building and on its premises at the time of the strike. Among them were 54 persons with disabilities and many children. The church complex had been serving as a humanitarian shelter for internally displaced persons fleeing the ongoing conflict.
The attack reportedly destroyed part of the church compound. Persons with disabilities were forced to evacuate the shelter immediately, and some were left without ventilators essential for sustaining life.
The Patriarchate emphasized that: “An assault on a sacred place where defenseless people are seeking refuge is a flagrant violation of human dignity, the sanctity of life, and the protected status of religious sites, which must remain safe havens even in times of war.”
The statement called on the international community and UN bodies to ensure the protection of religious institutions and humanitarian centers in the Gaza Strip, and to strictly observe international humanitarian law, which forbids attacks on civilians and places of worship.
“We pray for the victims and hope that wisdom will prevail over war, and that the voice of mercy will silence the thunder of weapons,” the statement concluded.
As previously reported by the UOJ, another Roman Catholic church in Gaza was damaged by shelling, and a priest was wounded in the attack.
