The Digest:
Two civilians were killed and several were injured after an Israeli strike hit the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area, according to Reuters and AP.
The site, Gaza’s only Catholic parish and a long-time refuge for displaced families, was sheltering hundreds, including disabled civilians. Among the injured was Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest previously in near-nightly contact with Pope Francis. For many, the church had become the last altar of safety. Now, even that has cracked.
Key Points:
- Israeli tank shell or airstrike struck near the church’s cross and main shelter
- Two civilians killed: a janitor (≈60) and an elderly woman (≈84)
- Father Romanelli and several others sustained injuries
- Italy and the Vatican condemned the attack, urging ceasefire
- IDF says it is reviewing the strike’s circumstances
Broken Altars symbolise a sacred space violated, where even sanctuaries lose immunity in war’s creeping reach. Where do Broken Altars leave those who thought faith might shield them? The church that once offered safety now stands as a symbol of war’s indiscriminate harm, sacredness, and shelling.
Sources: Reuters, AP, The Guardian, Euronews
