Israel’s strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza has resurfaced one month after a shell left multiple civilians dead and injured at the church compound.
On July 19, a shell fired by the Israel Defense Forces hit the Holy Family Catholic Church, which is the only Catholic church located in Gaza. The strike left 3 people dead and 10 people injured, including the parish priest. At the time, the Israel Defense Forces claimed that the church was “mistakenly” hit by fragments from a shell that was fired as part of “operational activity in the area.”
According to The Intercept, the deceased victims included Saad Salama, a 60-year-old janitor; Fumya Ayaad, an 84-year-old woman who had been receiving psychosocial aid at the church’s compound; and Najwa Abu Dawood, a 71-year-old mother with a hip fracture. The outlet noted that the injured victims included Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, and Najeeb Tarazi, a man with disabilities.
The Intercept reported that July’s strike by the Israel Defense Forces left the church’s compound with significant damage, including heavy damage sustained by the primary church building.
READ MORE: Video: 3 killed, 10 injured in Israeli strike on Catholic church in Gaza
According to The Intercept, the Catholic church’s compound served as a shelter for 500 to 600 Palestinian Christians. The outlet noted that 54 people with disabilities received shelter at the church compound and that many children and elderly individuals were also housed at the Catholic church in Gaza.
The Intercept reported that 46-year-old Shadi Abu Dawood’s mother, Najwa Dawood, was killed in the Israeli strike, while his son Suhail was critically injured in the attack. Shadi Dawood told The Intercept that the “massacre” took place at 10 a.m.
“The scene was horrifying — my mother was covered in blood and wounded in the head,” the 46-year-old said. “I kept calling her: ‘Mom, wake up, Mom, wake up.’ She’s now gone to a place where there is no pain, no sorrow.”
Mosa Ayaad, whose aunt, Fumya Ayaad, was killed in the Israeli strike, told The Intercept, “Seeing the church targeted was a wound to the soul. For us, it is not just a building — it is a house of prayer, a house of gathering, a refuge for the weak.”
“Here, Muslims and Christians share the same fate: the same fear, the same loss, the same siege,” Mosa Ayaad added. “And under these conditions, our bonds grow even stronger, because we are all fighting to survive and to protect what remains of our lives and dignity.”
