Tag: War in Gaza

In an interview before the second anniversary of Israel-Hamas war, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem said that "what is happening militarily in Gaza is a disaster," with the consequences of a "human devastation," and "brutalisation of mutual relations between Israelis and Palestinians."

An independent United Nations inquiry commission concluded in a 16 September report Israel is committing genocide in Gaza—but a "serious weakness" in the UN's Security Council could prevent taking action in accord with the Genocide Convention, said Father Elias D Mallon, special assistant to the president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association-Pontifical Mission.

As tens of thousands of Palestinians were fleeing their homes as Israel launched a major new ground offensive in Gaza City, Pope Leo XIV expressed his "profound closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza."

The president of the US bishops' conference called for a special collection to bolster the Catholic Church's response to a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip as the Israel-Hamas war continues to grind on.

The streets of Gaza are quieter than they used to be—not because peace has returned. The deep silence of hunger has replaced the noise of daily life.

In a message of solidarity and peace, Pope Leo XIV said the Catholic Church stands with young people suffering in war-torn areas, including Gaza and Ukraine.

Parishioners at Gaza's Holy Family Parish are in shock and despair after an Israeli tank shell struck their compound 17 July, killing three elderly sheltering there and wounding 10.

The "barbarity of war" and forced displacement of people have to end, and civilians and places of worship have to be protected, Pope Leo XIV implored.

In a statement issued on 17 July, the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, said, "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." It added that the cause of the incident "is under review."

Three people were confirmed dead and nine were injured, including a parish pastor, on 17 July when what initial reports said was an Israeli tank fire struck the Holy Family Parish, Gaza Strip's only Catholic parish.

After an early morning attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire, dialogue and peace in the region.

A ceasefire between Israel and Iran is bringing a measure of relief to the Holy Land, but Catholic humanitarians there told OSV News that real and lasting peace must ultimately be achieved.