Dozens of people were injured after an attack by Israel reached a Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip, doctors from Al-Ahli Hospital in the city of Gaza said on Thursday (17).
The offensive damaged the Church of the Holy Family, the only Catholic Church in Palestinian territory.
The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The IDF (Israel’s Defense Forces) said they were investigating the matter.
Jerusalem’s Latin patriarchy has stated in a statement that there are no fatalities so far.
The Italian news agency Ansa reported that six people were seriously injured, while the parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, who suffered minor leg injuries.
“The Israeli attacks in Gaza also hit the Church of the Holy Family,” the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. “The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been doing for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude.”
