Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 18, 2023 / 12:58 pm
The U.S. bishops over the weekend renewed their call for peace in the Holy Land amid reports on Saturday that two Christian women were killed by sniper fire from Israeli forces at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on Saturday morning that “around noon” on Dec. 16, a sniper of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “murdered two Christian women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, where the majority of Christian families has taken refuge since the start of the war.” Several others were also shot, the statement said.
“No warning was given, no notification was provided,” the patriarchate said.
The IDF denied culpability for the deaths, telling CNA in an emailed statement that “representatives of the church contacted the IDF regarding explosions that were heard near the church” but “no reports of ... civilians being injured or killed were raised.”