More than 600 people are currently sheltering in Holy Family Catholic parish in Gaza, including most of the city's small Christian minority, having sought refuge in convents and places of worship.
In its statement, the patriarchate said the victims were a mother and daughter, Nahida and Samar, and that one had been killed after attempting to rescue the other, who had been shot. Seven other people were also shot and wounded as they sought to protect others inside the church compound.
“No warning was given, no notification was provided. They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the parish, where there are no belligerents,” the statement said.
According to the patriarchate, earlier that day a rocket from an IDF tank “targeted” the convent where the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa, live, which is part of the church compound and which is home to 54 disabled persons.
Despite being designated as a place of worship since the beginning of the current war, the convent's generator, its only source of electricity, and its fuel stores were destroyed, and the house itself was damaged by the “explosion and massive fire” resulting from the rocket.
“Two more rockets, fired by an IDF tank, targeted the same convent and rendered the home uninhabitable,” the patriarchate said, noting that the disabled persons living there are now “displaced” and do not have access to the respirators in the convent “that some of them need to survive.”
Additionally, three people were wounded inside the church compound Friday night as a result of heavy bombing in the area, and the solar panels and water tanks, which the patriarchate said, “are indispensable for the survival of the community,” were destroyed.
“Together in prayer with the whole Christian community, we express our closeness and condolences to the families affected by this senseless tragedy,” the patriarchate said, saying, “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.”
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