As discussions continue in Doha regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, with no clear outcomes, Israel has intensified its bombardment of the region, including strikes on the only Catholic church in the area.
An American official stated that the negotiations are proceeding well; however, sources from Hamas conveyed to Reuters that no significant progress has been made. Under the proposed agreement, ten prisoners held in Gaza along with the remains of eighteen others would be returned over a period of sixty days, in exchange for the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian detainees by Israel. A Hamas insider revealed that Israel has presented new maps to the mediators, pledging to withdraw its troops further back than previously suggested.
The source added that while this partially addresses Hamas’s demands, it remains insufficient. There are still unresolved disputes concerning the mechanisms for delivering aid to Gaza and assurances that the agreement will lead to the end of hostilities. Israeli media reported that Israel informed mediators of its willingness to abandon its requirement to maintain a military presence along the so-called Morag corridor in southern Gaza during a potential ceasefire, showing flexibility regarding the size of the buffer zone to be retained near the Israeli border.
Attacks on the Church
On the ground, the Israeli military killed at least 27 individuals in strikes across Gaza yesterday, including three in an attack on a church that had previously been in contact with the late Pope Francis.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem reported in a statement that two women and a man were killed, with others wounded, as a result of Israeli shelling at the Holy Family Church complex on the morning prior.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barot condemned the “unacceptable” bombing that impacted the church, which is “under France’s historical protection.” He expressed that France stands in solidarity with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, emphasizing the urgency to end the violence in Gaza.
French Protection
The French government stated that it protects Catholic religious groups in both Israel and Palestine, a role rooted in a long historical legacy dating back to concessions made by Francis I to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1535.
The French consulate in Jerusalem confirmed to AFP that the Latin parish in Gaza is indeed under French protection, as explicitly outlined in the 1913 agreement. Father Gabriel Romanelli, an Argentine cleric, sustained minor injuries in the attack, and was seen in television footage receiving treatment at a hospital in Gaza, with a bandage wrapped around his right ankle.
Father Romanelli has been known to provide updates to the late Pope Francis regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In the Vatican, Pope Leo expressed his profound sadness upon learning of the casualties and injuries caused by the attack.
In a message of solidarity addressed to the victims and the injured, delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Foreign Minister, the Pope reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire and expressed hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace in the region.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated in a declaration that the attacks by Israel on civilian populations over recent months are unacceptable.