A view of the damage to the Holy Family church in Gaza City following an Israeli strike on the church, in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. AFP
"Unacceptable attack in Gaza against the Church of the Holy Family, historically under the protection of France," he said, alluding to a 16th-centrury accord for France to protect Catholic Christians in the Holy Land.
"The church has been sheltering both Christians and Muslims, including some children with disabilities," Fadel Naem, the acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the wounded, told AP.
At least two people were in critical condition, and others injured included one child with disabilities, two women, and an elderly person, Naem added.
Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, its military has repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure, including places of worship such as historic mosques and churches that are central to Palestine’s cultural and religious heritage.
According to figures published by Gaza’s government media office in April, Israeli airstrikes have destroyed more than 1,000 mosques and three churches – in what many observers see as a deliberate assault on sites of worship.
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