The Common Ills: The Pope calls out terrorism as Israeli government attacks a church

Sunday, December 17, 2023

The Pope calls out terrorism as Israeli government attacks a church

Yesterday, the Israeli government elected to attack the Catholic Church. Maija Ehlinger, Jomana Karadsheh, Kareem El Damanhoury and Heather Chen (CNN) report:

An Israeli military sniper shot and killed two women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza on Saturday, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The mother and daughter were walking to the Sister’s Convent, the patriarchate said, when gunfire erupted. “One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety,” it added.

Seven others were also shot and wounded in the attack at the complex, where most Gaza’s Christian families have taken refuge since the start of the war, according to the patriarchate, which oversees Catholic Churches across Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

“No warning was given, no notification was provided,” the statement continued. “They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the parish, where there are no belligerents.”

Pope Francis on Sunday addressed the deaths at the Holy Family Parish, lamenting that “unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire” in Gaza and invoking scripture on war.

“I continue receiving very serious and sad news about Gaza. Unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire. And this has happened even within the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities, sisters,” he said during his weekly Angelus prayer.

“Some are saying, ‘This is terrorism and war.’ Yes, it is war, it is terrorism. That is why Scripture says that ‘God puts an end to war… the bow he breaks and the spear he snaps,’” the Pope continued.

“Let us pray to the Lord for peace,” he added.

"Terrorism" is an apt description of the attack on the Catholic Church by Israeli forces.

In other news today, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy (AP) report:

Israel’s government faced calls for a cease-fire from some of its closest European allies on Sunday after a series of shootings, including the mistaken killing of three Israeli hostages, fueled global concerns about the conduct of the 10-week-old war in Gaza.

Israeli protesters are urging their government to renew negotiations with Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whom Israel has vowed to destroy. Israel is also expected to face pressure to scale back major combat operations when U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits Monday. Washington is expressing growing unease with civilian casualties even as it provides vital military and diplomatic support.

Among those calling for a cease-fire? France. BBC NEWS reports that Catherine Colonna, France's Foreign Minister, visited Tel Aviv today and noted her country's demand of an "immediate and durable truce." The United Kingdom and Germany are also calling for a cease-fire. Tomorrow, a resolution calling for a cease-fire is expected to be voted on by the United Nations' Security Council. Two weeks ago, a resolution was vetoed by the UNSC when the US voted "no."

ALJAZEERA notes, "A girl has been killed and at least three others wounded after Israeli shelling targeted the maternity ward of the Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis." As we were saying recently, remember the early days of this assault when the Israeli government would insist that it didn't attack hospitals? Meanwhile, CNN offers a look at the numbers:

Approximately 18,800 Palestinians — 70% of whom were women and children — have died in Gaza between October 7 and December 15, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said in a statement Sunday.

More than 300 health sector workers, 86 journalists, 135 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and approximately 35 civil defense crews are included in the death toll, the ministry said.

The ministry added that more than 51,100 people have been reportedly wounded, with scores of other people unaccounted for.

This is shorter than I wanted but we're trying to get content up at THIRD. The following sites updated: