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Pope, Church Leaders Mourn Gaza Christian Women Killed in Israeli Strike
Confirmed
In Short: Two Palestinian Christian women, a mother and daughter, were among five killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City apartment.
Two Palestinian Christian women, a mother and her daughter, were among five killed and several injured in an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood on Saturday, October 3.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of Holy Family, shared images from the funeral, expressing his deep sorrow. 'Today is essentially the worst day of my life. I lost my mother and my grandmother today,' Fouad Al-Najjar told Al Jazeera, referring to the victims, Maysaa Khader Ibrahim Abu Dawoud and her daughter Mary Hafez Michel al-Najjar.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem identified the victims and extended condolences to their families. 'This is happening every day to us; it is not safe. One sleeps at night and does not know if he will wake up in the morning or not; we woke up, we woke up,' said a parishioner.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the strike was aimed at eliminating Ali Ahmed Al-Amoudi, the deputy chairman of the political bureau in Hamas in Gaza, who they said was involved in the October 7th Massacre and was a key figure in Hamas' terror activities.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed 'deep sorrow and grief' over the deaths and offered his condolences to the families.
Pope Leo also sent a message of condolence to Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of Holy Family.
The attack occurred in the Remal area, where thousands of refugees shelter in makeshift camps, highlighting the vulnerability of civilians in the conflict.
The Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, Palestine, also mourned the loss, with Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Alexios and Archimandrite Silas extending their deepest condolences.
The attack underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Christians in Gaza, who have been displaced throughout much of the war and continue to live in precarious conditions.
What this adds
While the IDF claims the strike was aimed at a high-ranking Hamas official, the deaths of the two Christian women have sparked widespread mourning and calls for an end to the violence.
Background
Eight-year-old Yara Ajami and her classmates returned to a damaged school in southern Lebanon this week, where the classrooms are doorless and windowless after an Israeli strike destroyed the building.
What's confirmed
- Two Palestinian Christian women, a mother and her daughter, were among five killed and several injured in an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood on Saturday, October 3.
- Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of Holy Family, shared images from the funeral, expressing his deep sorrow. 'Today is essentially the worst day of my life. I lost my mother and my grandmother today,' Fouad Al-Najjar told Al Jazeera, referring to the victims, Maysaa Khader Ibrahim Abu Dawoud and her daughter Mary Hafez Michel al-Najjar.
- The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem identified the victims and extended condolences to their families. 'This is happening every day to us; it is not safe. One sleeps at night and does not know if he will wake up in the morning or not; we woke up, we woke up,' said a parishioner.
- The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the strike was aimed at eliminating Ali Ahmed Al-Amoudi, the deputy chairman of the political bureau in Hamas in Gaza, who they said was involved in the October 7th Massacre and was a key figure in Hamas' terror activities.
- The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed 'deep sorrow and grief' over the deaths and offered his condolences to the families.
- Pope Leo also sent a message of condolence to Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of Holy Family.
- The attack occurred in the Remal area, where thousands of refugees shelter in makeshift camps, highlighting the vulnerability of civilians in the conflict.
- The Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, Palestine, also mourned the loss, with Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Alexios and Archimandrite Silas extending their deepest condolences.
- The attack underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Christians in Gaza, who have been displaced throughout much of the war and continue to live in precarious conditions.
What's still developing
- “We heard fighter jets getting louder, then three strikes followed, hitting the apartment and killing those inside,” Al-Jazeera's Hani al-Shaer reported.
- It all began with a prophecy, a story foretold by an 11-year-old illiterate boy in Armenia sometime in the mid-19th century, predicting that Christians in the region were doomed if they did not make the voyage to the West Coast of America—California, more specifically.
- READ: Funeral ceremony for two Palestinian Christians after an Israeli attack in Gaza This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
- The IDF said Al-Amoudi served as Yahya Sinwar's right-hand man and personal assistant and "was involved in the decision-making surrounding the October 7th Massacre."