By Kielce Gussie
Following the Israeli attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza on the morning of Jul 17, Caritas Jerusalem and Caritas Internationalis released statements expressing their “deepest sorrow and condolences.”
Three people were killed in the shelling: Saad Salameh, 60, the parish janitor; Fumayya Ayyad, 84; and Najwa Abu Daoud, 69. They were transported to Al-Mamadani Hospital where they passed away due to the critical shortage of medical supplies and blood units in Gaza. Others were injured during the attack, some critically, as the church was housing displaced civilians.
Respect the sacredness of life
Alistair Dutton, the Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, issued a statement highlighting their devastation at the news of the attack.
“Their deaths are a painful reminder of the appalling conditions that civilians and medical personnel are living in under siege.” Mr Dutton also called on everyone involved in the conflict to “respect the sacredness of life and the spaces that protect it.”
Fr Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, was also injured in the attack. During the last week, he had been pushing everyone to stay inside due to escalating danger from heavy shelling and military operations in the vicinity.
Caritas Jerusalem staff in Gaza stressed that Fr Romanelli’s warnings helped save lives. “If Father Gabriel hadn’t warned us to stay indoors, we could have lost 50 to 60 people today. It would have been a massacre.”
This comes after Caritas Jerusalem lost two staff members from the Gaza Health Center in October and November 2023 along with their children in bombings.
The breaking point
Just a few days before the strike on the parish, Caritas Jerusalem released a report describing how the humanitarian situation has reached an “unprecedented level of devastation” in Gaza. In the Jul 14 statement, the organization stressed that every part of daily civilian life is disintegrating.
Food deliveries have stopped as a result of rising attacks on people seeking aid—758 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured since 27 May. Consequently, the entire population—2.1 million—is facing acute hunger.
Almost 80% of water, sanitation and hygiene stations are found in active conflict zones. Around 40% of all reported illnesses are acute watery diarrhea. Hospitals are overcrowded and under-resourced, and education is more or less at a standstill.
Around 1.3 million people urgently require emergency shelter, and families are more and more exposed to gender-based violence and child exploitation.
Close to home
Caritas Internationalis expressed its solidarity with Caritas Jerusalem and everyone working under the siege who are focused on serving those in need and facing dire situations. The organization is calling for everyone to:
– Respect for and protection of places of worship and humanitarian shelter, as outlined under international humanitarian law;
– Guarantee unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance, secure passageways, and medical care for civilians;
– Cease all assaults on civilians, particularly those sheltering in churches, other religious sites, and clearly designated humanitarian zones;
– Protect human dignity, which must never be compromised or lost in times of war.
The Caritas confederation continues to echo Pope Leo XIV’s renewed appeal for an immediate ceasefire and reiterates its call for complete respect for international law, humanitarian law, and human rights law. – Vatican News
