Israel kills Christian mother and daughter at Gaza church
An Israeli soldier fatally shoots two Christian women at Gaza City's Holy Family Parish, where they sought shelter with other families amid ongoing Israeli aggression.
Mourners attend a funeral for Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike that damaged the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, where Palestinians who fled their homes were taking shelter, at the church in Gaza City, October 20, 2023. / Photo: Reuters
A Christian mother and daughter were shot dead by an Israeli soldier on the grounds of a Catholic church in Gaza City on Saturday, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.
"Around noon (1000 GMT) today... a sniper of the IDF (Israeli army) murdered two Christian women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza," where Christian families have been sheltering since the Israeli aggression started on Gaza, the patriarchate said in a statement.
"Nahida and her daughter Samar were shot and killed as they walked to the Sister's Convent. One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety," it added, without specifying the victims' ages.
'Shot in cold blood'
Seven more people were wounded by gunfire as they tried to protect others, the statement said.
The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the incident on the grounds of Gaza's only Catholic church.
The patriarchate said no warning was given before the shooting started, adding: "They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the Parish, where there are no belligerents."
Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air and land, imposed a siege and mounted a ground offensive after a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7.
At least 18,800 Palestinians have been killed and 50,100 others injured in the Israeli onslaught since then, according to Palestinian health authorities in Gaza.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,140, while around 139 hostages remain in captivity, according to official figures.
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