Thu Jul 17 09:52:58 UTC 2025: ## The Hindu News Report: Israeli Strike Hits Gaza Church, Priest Injured
**Deir al-Balah, July 17, 2025, 3:23 PM IST** – A strike hit the Holy Family Church in northern Gaza this morning, injuring several people, including parish priest Father Gabriele Romanelli. Catholic Church officials confirmed the attack and reported damage to the church. Witnesses described the strike as an apparent shelling by an Israeli tank.
According to medics at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, Father Romanelli sustained light leg injuries and is receiving medical attention.
The Israeli military has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
The Holy Family Church, the lone Catholic church in Gaza, has been a refuge for many during the ongoing conflict, which began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has claimed the lives of over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, reports that women and children comprise more than half of the deceased. The United Nations and other international organizations consider the ministry’s figures the most reliable count of war casualties.
The late Pope Francis was known to regularly contact Father Romanelli and the church in Gaza to check on the well-being of those sheltering there.
First Piper 