Two Christian Women Killed in Israeli Airstrike on Gaza

Two Christian women were killed in an Israeli military airstrike in western Gaza City on October 3, according to Palestinian medical and civil-defense sources. The attack struck a residential building, resulting in the deaths of five people and injuries to several others. Among those killed were Maysaa Khader Ibrahim Abu Dawoud and Mary Hafez Michel al-Najjar, members of Gaza’s small Greek Orthodox Christian community. The Israeli military has not yet issued a public statement regarding the strike.

The two women had recently moved into rented accommodation, seeking to rebuild a stable life after months of displacement. They had spent much of the war sheltering at the Catholic Church of the Holy Family, a place of refuge for many in the region. Their funeral was held at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, where about 200 people, including Christians and Muslims, gathered to mourn. Religious sisters, Catholic priest Gabriel Romanelli, and Muslim community leaders were among those present.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed “deep sorrow and grief” over the tragedy and offered condolences to the families and the broader Christian community in Gaza. His remarks reflect the growing concern for the survival of Gaza’s Christian population, which has been shrinking throughout the war. In September, Pizzaballa reported that only 541 Christians, Catholics, and Orthodox together remained in Gaza, compared to 1,017 before the conflict began.

The decline of Gaza’s Christian community is more than a demographic shift. Their presence in the Holy Land spans centuries, with churches, schools, and charitable institutions forming a vital part of the region’s heritage. The ongoing war is not only destroying homes and livelihoods but also eroding the social and physical conditions necessary for such communities to endure.

The Holy Family parish has played a significant role in this regard, offering shelter to displaced families and continuing its pastoral and educational mission despite the conflict. In September, the Latin Patriarchate announced the reopening of its school for the 2026–27 academic year, with 1,005 pupils, after nearly three years of disruption due to the war. This resilience underscores the enduring commitment of Christian institutions to serve both their own communities and those in need.

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