Christian leaders make rare visit to Gaza following deadly Israeli church attack
Leaders from the Catholic and Greek Orthodox Church visited Gaza’s only Catholic church on July 18.
By Ibrahim Dahman and Sophie Tanno, CNN
(CNN) — Leaders from the Catholic and Greek Orthodox Church visited Gaza’s only Catholic church on Friday, where a day earlier three people were killed in an Israeli strike.
The visit is highly unusual given Israel’s tight control over access in and out of the territory.
Israel says it “deeply regrets” the incident, blaming stray ammunition for the strike. An investigation is underway.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, together with Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited the enclave to show their support for Gaza’s Catholics, according to a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The two expressed “the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza,” a statement from the Patriarchate – which has jurisdiction for Roman Catholics in Gaza – said.
They brought in food aid and medical supplies to the territory, which is facing a humanitarian crisis. The Patriarchate also said the leaders ensured those injured in the Israeli attack would be evacuated outside Gaza for treatment.
The church in Gaza has become a shelter for the enclave’s tiny Christian community and others and others during the conflict.
The-CNN-Wire
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