The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has strongly condemned a raid launched by Israeli forces against its Holy Family School in Gaza City on Sunday morning, which reportedly killed at least four people.
Four victims reported
The air strike targeted two classrooms on the ground floor of the school sheltering a large number of displaced Palestinian families. Among those killed was a senior Hamas administration official, Ihab al-Ghusain, the group’s deputy labour minister.
The Israeli army claims that the complex was used as a militant hideout and housed “a Hamas weapons manufacturing facility”. Tsahal said that it took steps to minimise the risk of civilians being harmed.
Raid on UN-run school on 7 July
The raid on the Catholic school came only hours after Israeli forces attacked a UN-run school Saturday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 75 sheltered there, according to Gaza authorities, including two UNRWA workers. The incident provoked the outrage of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees at the repeated attacks on its facilities.
Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip after the October 7 Hamas rampage, thousands of Palestinians in the enclave have sought shelter in hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure. However, Israel accuses Hamas and other militants of hiding in these places.
Civilians must remain outside the combat scene
In its statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem also condemned “in the strongest terms” the targeting of non-combatants, “or any belligerent actions that fall short of ensuring that civilians remain outside the combat scene.”
It said it continues to pray and hope “that the Parties will reach an agreement that would put an immediate end to the horrifying bloodbath and humanitarian catastrophe in the region.”
