Two Christian women were killed by IDF sniper fire inside the Holy Family Parish church compound in Gaza, said the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in a December 16 statement.
The Latin Patriarchate named the women as Nahida and her daughter Samar Anton, who were killed as they walked to the Sister’s convent.
The statement said one of the women was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety but did not specify which of the women was carrying the other.
Seven other people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others inside the church compound, said the statement.
Christian community mourns
“Together in prayer with the whole Christian community, we express our closeness and condolences to the families affected by this senseless tragedy. At the same time, we cannot but express that we are at a loss to comprehend how such an attack could be carried out, even more so as the whole Church prepares for Christmas,” said the Patriarchate’s statement.
The statement said no warning was given, nor was any notification provided.
“They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the parish, where there are no belligerents,” said the statement.
In a statement that did not make any mention of the shooting deaths of the two women, the IDF said: “The IDF takes claims regarding harm to sensitive sites with the utmost seriousness — especially churches — considering that Christian communities are a minority group in the Middle East.
When reviewing incidents that may have taken place in the vicinity of churches in Gaza, it was found that an incident took place during yesterday afternoon (Saturday) in another area in Gaza, near the Latin Church in the Shejayia area. An initial review suggests that IDF troops, who were operating against Hamas terrorists in the area, operated against a threat that they identified in the area of the church. The IDF is conducting a thorough review of the incident.”
The statement further said that the IDF received a letter from the Latin Patriarchate on Dec. 16 morning describing a “tragic incident” following explosions heard near the church—apparently in reference to the rocket fire mentioned in the Latin Patriarchate statement.
“During the dialogue between the IDF and representatives of the community, no reports of a hit on the church, nor civilians being injured or killed, were raised. A review of the IDF’s operational findings support this,” they said.
IDF attacks
“The IDF's activity is focused against the terrorist organization Hamas and is not directed against civilians, regardless of their religious affiliation. The IDF takes many measures to reduce harm to civilians in the Gaza Strip. Despite the complex fighting against a terrorist organization that does everything in its power to endanger citizens and uses them and various religious institutions as human shields for its terrorist activities,” they added.
According to the Latin Patriarchate statement, earlier in the morning of December 16, a rocket fired from an IDF targeted the Convent of the Sisters of Mother Theresa, the Missionaries of Charity order.
The convent is home to over 54 disabled persons and is part of the church compound, which was signaled as a place of worship since the beginning of the war, noted the statement. The building’s generator, the only source of electricity, and the fuel resources were destroyed.
“The house was damaged by the resulting explosion and massive fire. Two more rockets, fired by an IDF tank, targeted the same convent and rendered the home uninhabitable. The 54 disabled persons are currently displaced and without access to the respirators that some of them need to survive,” said the Patriarchate statement.
In addition, the statement said that as a result of the heavy bombing in the area, three people were wounded inside the church compound the night before. Furthermore, solar panels and water tanks, which they said “are indispensable for the survival of the community,” were destroyed.
Last month, an elderly music teacher and church organist, Elham Farah, was killed in the street by sniper fire as she left the Holy Family compound to walk to her home to bring back some personal items.
There are 1017 Christians now living in Gaza, of whom 135 are Catholic. The Christian community is sheltering either at the Holy Family church compound or the nearby Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, located in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip.
Some 600 Christians are sheltering in the Holy family church, according to the Holy Family parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli, who found himself stuck in Jerusalem when the war broke out on October 7.
The Patriarchate said it was following the developing situation “with great concern.”