Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemns Israeli army attack on Catholic school

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem strongly condemned the attack on a Catholic school in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli military raid on a Catholic school in the Gaza Strip killed four people, including a high-ranking Hamas official.

In a statement released on July 7, the Patriarchate said it was following reports of an attack on the Holy Family School, which “has been a refuge for hundreds of civilians since the beginning of the war.”

“The Latin Patriarchate strongly condemns targeted attacks against civilians or any acts of war that do not ensure that civilians are kept away from the fighting,” the statement said.

The Patriarchate called for a ceasefire agreement “that would put an immediate end to the horrific carnage and humanitarian catastrophe in the region.”

According to several news reports, including the Associated Press, Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on the night of July 6-7 killed 13 Palestinians.

The strike at the Holy Family School, which served as a temporary shelter, left four people dead, including Ihab al-Ghussein, Hamas’ undersecretary for labor. In a statement, Hamas mourned the death of al-Ghussein, whose wife and daughter were killed in strikes in the first days of the war, AP reported.

Israeli military officials justified the attack on the school by saying that the bombs hit a Hamas military building and a weapons factory “in the area of ​​a school building.”

This is the second time in 24 hours that Israeli forces have attacked a school, sparking renewed concern and outrage over the country’s military tactics in its efforts to eradicate Hamas.

Reuters news agency reported on July 6 that Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a school in Al-Nuseirat in central Gaza, killing 16 people and wounding more than 50. The school is run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Several UNRWA members were among those who took part in the opening offensive against Israel on October 7 that sparked the current war.

Israeli forces claimed they attacked Hamas fighters hiding in the area, but Hamas denied that its fighters were there.

The Latin Patriarchate said in its July 7 statement that it “continues to pray for the Lord’s mercy.”

Meanwhile, Israeli protesters blocked highways across the country on July 7, nine months after the Gaza war began on October 7, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urging a ceasefire to release the scores of hostages still held by Hamas, AP reported.