Gaza’s Christians mourn mother and daughter killed in Israeli attack

What the report says

Christian leaders and church groups in Gaza are mourning the deaths of Maysa Abu Daoud and her daughter Mary al-Najjar, who were killed in an Israeli air attack on Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera. The pair were among five Palestinians killed when a strike hit the ground floor of a building in the Remal neighbourhood, and their funeral was held at Saint Porphyrius Church in the city’s Old City.

Al Jazeera reported that the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed grief over the killings and sent condolences to the family and Gaza’s Christian community. Palestine’s Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs said the two women had been active in helping parishioners and displaced people sheltering at Holy Family Church. Their deaths were described by the committee as a heavy loss for their families and church community.

The article said Mary’s 14-year-old son described the strike as happening around 1:30am local time and said his mother and grandmother were killed. The report also placed the attack in the wider context of Gaza’s small Christian population, which has been hit repeatedly during the war that began in October 2023. Al Jazeera cited earlier attacks on church compounds in Gaza and said the latest strike came amid continuing violations of a ceasefire agreement.