We express deep condemnation over the Israeli strike against the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in Gaza. The church was hit by a tank where at least three died and there were several injuries, including its parish priest Fr. Gabriel Romanelli.
We demand a genuine ceasefire of Israel towards Gaza, especially that its rampant human rights violations have only brought hellish conditions for Palestinians.
The Israeli Occupation Forces, backed by the United States, have killed more than 72,000 people in Palestine and have shown no respect even for holy sites. The strike against Holy Family Church is not a “mistake” but a deliberate part of the systematic attack of Israel to exact genocide against the Palestinians and destroy anyone or anything in the way of this devastation.
According to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the strike was a “mistake.” Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, have expressed sadness and condemnation regarding the situation.
Strikes and actions of disrespect towards religious communities, including Christians, in Gaza are not new. On May 11, 2022, Israeli forces shot Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian Arab Christian. On Oct. 19, 2023, St. Porphyrius Church, the third oldest church in the world, was hit by an Israeli airstrike, killing 18. Meanwhile, Anglican al-Ahli Arab Hospital was hit last June 6, 2025 where five were killed, including three journalists.
The movement calls on all the faithful to stand with the innocent and see the truth that what is happening in Palestine is textbook genocide and must be condemned to high heavens.
Christians are called to be on the side of justice. If Jesus were alive today in Palestine, he would be a victim himself, yet he would also stand with his fellow oppressed. What Israel and its master United States have been doing is diametrically opposite of our Christian values. We must call for the liberation of all experiencing oppression and neocolonization. We must condemn this sacrifice of Palestinians for selfish geopolitical interests. We are one with the call — Free, Free Palestine!