An Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic church in Gaza City killed two Palestinians and injured several others on the morning of July 17. Pope Leo XVI gave a statement saying he is “deeply saddened” by the events and reiterated his request for an immediate ceasefire.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who oversaw the Gaza church, affirmed that the strike was a “direct” hit from a tank and named the victims as Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh and Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad.
The church was the only place of Catholic worship in Gaza and was used by the tiny Christian community as a refuge from Israeli strikes.
Nonetheless, this is not the first time Israeli Armed Forces attacked the site, as in 2023 an Israeli sniper killed two Palestinian women who were sheltering inside. These are just the last two casualties of a jarring death toll. As of July 2025, over 62,000 Palestinians have been killed, with tens of thousands more thought to be trapped beneath the rubble or in areas that are simply inaccessible to rescue workers. The Gaza Government Information Office estimates that a maximum of three‑quarters of those killed have been identified; the rest remain missing amid the mass destruction.
Among the injured, there are hundreds of thousands, many left to die because of a blockade on all aid, including vital medical supplies. High rates of amputations and other medical interventions have been conducted without anesthesia or basic tools, as international organizations beg Israel for emergency aid to be allowed into Gaza. Starvation has also taken the lives of Palestinians, as long periods without food or medicine have targeted the most vulnerable.
So what now? What is keeping the end of the war so distant? Click through the gallery to find out.