The quiet reverence of Gaza’s last standing Catholic church was shattered this week when an Israeli airstrike struck the Holy Family Church compound, a long-time refuge for dozens of displaced Christian families.
Christian mourners carried the body of a loved one through the grounds of the nearby Arab Ahli Hospital—also known as the Baptist Hospital—where victims of the strike had been taken for treatment and final rites.
The solemn procession offered a harrowing glimpse into the layered human suffering that continues to unfold nearly two years into the Israel-Gaza war.
The compound, a rare sanctuary for Gaza’s tiny Christian population, has sheltered Catholics and Orthodox Christians since the conflict erupted in October 2023.
The war began after a Hamas-led assault killed 1,219 people in Israel, most of them civilians, igniting a massive military response.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed over 58,500 Palestinians, with the majority being civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Conditions inside Gaza have become catastrophic, with most residents displaced multiple times and essential supplies dwindling by the day.
The bombing of the Holy Family Church drew swift international condemnation.
READ ALSO: Tension as Israel Strikes Syrian Military Headquarters in Damascus
Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, who leads the Catholic humanitarian organization l’Oeuvre d’Orient, called the attack “totally unacceptable.”
“This was a place of peace—families, children, civilians who sought shelter in a house of worship,” said Gollnisch. “There were no militants here, no strategic targets. Only those seeking safety. To bomb such a place defies humanity and must be condemned.”
Pope Francis, who passed away in April this year, had repeatedly pleaded for peace in Gaza.
In his final Easter address—delivered just a day before his death—the late pontiff decried what he called the “deplorable humanitarian situation” in the Palestinian enclave.
Survivors of the strike, many wounded and in shock, were rushed to the nearby Baptist Hospital, which has served as a frontline medical center throughout the war despite repeated bombardments and dwindling supplies.
With the war entering its 22nd month, the destruction of places once thought to be off-limits—churches, hospitals, schools—has only deepened a sense of despair for those still trapped in the territory.