Bombardment Of Latin Church In Gaza City And Killing Of Innocent Lives By Israeli Forces Condemned
By Desire Tshuma
The State of Palestine is outraged and deeply saddened by the latest attack on the Latin Church in Gaza City, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives, injuries, and extensive damage to the church building. This heinous act is part of a systematic policy of desecration and genocide committed by the occupation against all forms of human life in the Gaza Strip.
“The bombing of the Latin Church is a stark indication of the occupying power’s complete disregard for international law, religious sanctity, and fundamental human values. This attack is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger pattern of violence and aggression against Palestinians, including Christians. In 2023, Israel bombed the historic Church of Saint Porphyrius, a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, killing at least 18 Palestinian civilians. Furthermore, Israel has destroyed over 85% of mosques and many churches in Gaza, and continues to provoke violence at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem,” Ambassador Dr Tarmer Almassri
The State of Palestine also condemns the continued settler violence in the Christian town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, where St. George Church and the town’s Christian cemetery have been stormed by settlers. The settlers have engaged in organized campaigns of intimidation against local residents, further exacerbating the already dire situation faced by Palestinian Christians.
The Ambassador urges Patriarchs, Eminences, and Heads of Churches around the world to publicly and unequivocally condemn these attacks, hold the occupying power fully responsible for the repeated targeting of churches and believers, and to fulfill their moral and spiritual obligation toward Christian communities in Palestine. Silence is no longer acceptable, and prayers alone are not enough unless accompanied by bold and principled action to stop the deliberate campaign to erase the deep-rooted Christian presence in the Holy Land.
The state of Palestine also appeals to the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and take an effective stance to halt the Israeli aggression on Gaza immediately. The international community must ensure the prompt entry of sufficient and immediate aid to the Strip, which is suffering from an unprecedented humanitarian disaster caused and exacerbated by the Israeli aggression.
