Macron discusses ‘tragic situation’ at Gaza’s Catholic church with Latin patriarch
Military denies claim that snipers killed two women on parish grounds, where hundreds are sheltering from war; French president offers condolences for deaths
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “great concern” about a Catholic parish in war-torn Gaza to the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, his office said on Sunday.
Macron spoke with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa by telephone on Saturday to discuss the “tragic situation” there since the outbreak of war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas terrorists on October 7.
“Hundreds of civilians of all confessions… have been living under bombs and bullets for more than two months while worshippers and nuns take care of the sick, elderly or disabled,” Macron was quoted as saying.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on December 16 that an Israeli soldier shot dead “in cold blood” a Christian mother and daughter on the grounds of the Gaza Strip’s only Catholic church.
Macron offered his condolences for the parishioners who, he said, were killed “shamefully,” a week after Pope Francis deplored their deaths.
The Israeli army told AFP early last week that a review supported findings that no church was hit and that civilians were not injured or killed.
It said it “does not target civilians, no matter their religion.”
It repeated that denial several days later, after further investigation and also cited Hamas fire at troops from the area of the church.
As Christmas approaches, Macron asked Pizzaballa to “send a message of peace and solidarity to all Christians in the Holy Land and assure them France is by their side.”
Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza began with the group’s onslaught in Israel on October 7, when thousands of terrorists flooded across the border via land, air and sea, massacring more than 1,200 people and seizing some 240 hostages.
In response, Israel launched an aerial campaign and subsequent ground invasion, vowing to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip and bring back the hostages.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said that since the start of the war, more than 20,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians. These numbers cannot be independently verified, however, and are believed to include some 8,000 Hamas or Hamas-affiliated operatives, as well as civilians killed by misfired Palestinian rockets.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
