Parish priest, several injured as Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza church
Parish priest of the Church of the Holy Family, father Gabriele Romanelli, receives medical attention, after he suffered light leg injuries following an Israeli strike on the church, according to medics, at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, in this still image taken from a video July 17, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Strikes hit the Holy Family Church in northern Gaza on Thursday (July 17, 2025) morning, injuring several people including the parish priest, officials with the Catholic Church said.
Parish priest Fr Gabriel Romanelli was very close with the late Pope Francis and the two spoke often during the war in Gaza.
The church was damaged in the attack, officials said, in what witnesses said appeared to be an Israeli tank shelling.
The Israeli military did not have immediate comment on the strike.
Midnight Christmas Eve mass at Deir Al Latin Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City.
| Photo Credit:
AP
In the last 18 months of his life, Francis would often call the lone Catholic church in the Gaza Strip to see how people huddled inside were coping with a devastating war.
The war began with Hamas’ cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. That day, militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other international organisations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.
Published – July 17, 2025 03:22 pm IST
