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In a candid interview following the July 17 Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic parish, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, condemned the ongoing violence and pleaded for peace, calling the war “absurd” and increasingly “senseless.”
“Today they hit us, but every day dozens of people die,” he said in an interview with Corriere della Sera after the attack. “This absurd war must stop.”
The Israeli strike — described by officials as accidental — hit the Church of the Holy Family, the only Catholic parish in Gaza, where approximately 500 civilians had sought shelter. The attack damaged the church compound, killed three people and injured several others, including the parish’s pastor, Father Gabriel Romanelli.
The cardinal voiced concern over the condition of the injured.
“Some are still seriously injured, and the hospitals can’t do much,” he said. “It’s time to stop this war, which has always been absurd and is now even more senseless.”
Asked whether the strike was intentional, Cardinal Pizzaballa said, “We’re not a target. They say it was a mistake. Even though everyone here believes it wasn’t.”
He noted the strike did not resemble an air attack: “In fact, it looks like they hit from the ground with a tank.”
In a July 17 statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret over the incident, describing the strike as the result of “stray ammunition.”
Three days before the strike, Israeli forces issued an evacuation order for the area, but Cardinal Pizzaballa clarified that the Church received no specific warning.
“[I]t was a general order, for the entire area,” he told Corriere della Sera. “It wasn’t directed at our community; we were never told.”
Pressed on whether the strike might have been a warning to leave, he responded, “I don’t know. I don’t like conspiracy theories. It’s a fact that happened. We will continue to address the people’s dramatic situation. We will bring the necessary aid for their sustenance.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa described the conditions in Gaza as increasingly dire.
“The situation has worsened a lot. Both in terms of the military conflict and the destruction of homes and property,” he said. “But above all because of the hunger. There’s a lot of it. There’s a lack of hospitals. There’s also little water.”
Despite the attack, the cardinal affirmed his commitment to remain.
“We’re staying,” he said. “Whatever happens.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa said he immediately informed Pope Leo XIV of the incident and echoed his consistent calls for peace.
>> Pope Leo mourns deadly attack on Gaza’s only Catholic church, renews call for peace <<
To end the crisis, the cardinal told Corriere della Sera that the violence must cease and political leaders must act.
“Stop. Put an end to the weapons,” he said. “But I don’t see that. Wars are easy to start, but difficult to end. In any case, a military solution won’t end wars. A political decision is needed. Leaders must raise their voices.”
According to Cardinal Pizzaballa, the international community must “go beyond declarations.”
“This constant bloodbath is no longer humanly or morally sustainable,” he said.
Asked whether he remains optimistic despite the devastation, Cardinal Pizzaballa replied, “I should be. I’m a man of faith. I have hope.”
>> US bishops call for ceasefire after deadly strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church <<
