JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL 

Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem on Friday condemned the Israeli attack on the Holy Family Church in the Gaza Strip as a “criminal act.”

They urged the international community to act to halt the war on the besieged enclave.

In a statement, they expressed “deep solidarity” with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and all those who had taken shelter at the Catholic church, the only Catholic church in the enclave, during Thursday’s “horrific assault.”

They said the Israeli strike caused “severe damage to the church compound, killed three people, and injured 10 others, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli.”

“In unwavering unity, we strongly condemn this criminal act,” they said, stressing that places of worship “are sacred and must be protected” under international law.

Targeting a church sheltering 600 refugees, including children with disabilities, was a “flagrant violation” of the law and an “affront to human dignity and sanctity of life,” they said.

The patriarchs and church leaders urged world leaders and UN agencies to “act urgently to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Gaza” and “ensure protection of all religious and humanitarian sites, while securing emergency relief for the starving population.”

The Israeli attack Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood also injured nine others, including two in serious condition and the parish priest, according to the Latin Patriarchate.

A high-level church delegation arrived Friday in Gaza in the aftermath of the strike. The delegation was led by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III.

The patriarchate said the visit was a show of “pastoral solidarity” and aimed at “assessing urgent humanitarian and spiritual needs” of Gaza’s Christian community.

Emergency aid, including food and medical supplies, was sent into Gaza for affected families, it added, noting that some of the injured were evacuated for treatment outside the enclave.

The patriarchs thanked Pope Leo for reaching out to both leaders upon their arrival in Gaza, and reiterated their commitment to stand with Gaza’s Christians and broader population.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate said the visit also reflected “practical unity” among churches in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe, and cited attacks on Christian sites in Gaza, including the Saint Porphyrius Church and Baptist hospital, as well as Israeli settler assaults on Christian cemeteries in the occupied West Bank.

The leaders called for a permanent ceasefire and urged the international community to take “moral and humanitarian responsibility” for the innocent civilians caught in Israel’s military campaign.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has bombed several churches in Gaza.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.