Roman Catholic Church in Gaza damaged by airstrike, priest injured

Holy Family Church in Gaza after the airstrike, July 16, 2025. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On July 16, 2025, an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip damaged the Holy Family Church, which belongs to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, a structure of the Roman Catholic Church. This was stated in an official Patriarchate communiqué released on July 17.

According to the statement, several people were injured in the attack, including the parish priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, a Roman Catholic clergyman. While injuries were reported, no fatalities had been confirmed at the time of publication. The church building sustained significant damage.

The Holy Family Church is one of the few places in Gaza that had been providing shelter to civilians and internally displaced persons. Previously, the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, which played a similar humanitarian role, was also damaged during hostilities.

Official Statement of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
The photo shows the press release dated July 17, 2025, reporting the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza caused by the airstrike

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed deep concern over the situation and called for prayers for the wounded and for the restoration of peace. Patriarchate representatives also promised to release further details once officially confirmed.

As previously reported by the UOJ, a Russian airstrike earlier destroyed a UOC church in Bytytsia, Sumy region.

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