UN: “Israeli” Strike on Gaza Church Sheltering Displaced Civilians May Constitute War Crime

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations Human Rights Office has warned that the “Israeli” military strike targeting a Catholic church sheltering displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip may amount to a war crime under international law.

The attack, which struck the Holy Family Church—the only Catholic parish in Gaza—occurred on Thursday and left multiple casualties, including injuries to a parish priest and several displaced civilians. The site was hosting more than 600 internally displaced persons [IDPs], including children and people with disabilities.

Speaking to the media on Friday, UN rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the incident raises grave concerns of a “serious violation of international law” and may constitute “a war crime.”

“A strike hitting a site hosting 600 IDPs clearly appears to violate, at the very least, the principle of precaution in attack, and in addition raises concerns of compliance with the principles of distinction and proportionality,” Kheetan stated.

The UN Human Rights Office has called for a “thorough, transparent and independent” investigation into the attack and noted that the church strike is part of a broader pattern of “Israeli” assaults on places of worship and other civilian structures since the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

Under international humanitarian law, Kheetan explained, “all parties to the conflict have obligations… to take special care to avoid damage to civilian objects, including buildings dedicated to religion, and to historic monuments.”

The UN said it is still in the process of verifying the full scale of casualties resulting from the strike, which reportedly injured over a dozen people.

On Friday, leaders of the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches visited the site to assess the damage. Among them were Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III.

During their visit, Cardinal Pizzaballa said that Pope Francis had personally contacted him to express concern over the attack. According to the cardinal, the pope conveyed his sorrow and anger over the targeting of civilians and religious sites, stating: “It is time to stop this slaughter. What has happened is unjustifiable, and we must ensure there are no more victims.”

Pizzaballa added that the pope expressed his “closeness, care, prayer, support, and desire to do everything possible to achieve not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy.”

The Holy Family Church has served as a vital refuge for Christian and Muslim families in Gaza amid the ongoing war, which has seen over 58,000 Palestinians killed and more than 139,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.