Ankara - Saba:
A spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Thameen Al-Khaithan, stated on Friday that Israel’s attack on a church sheltering displaced Palestinians "constitutes a war crime."
Speaking to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, Al-Khaithan said the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, where displaced Palestinians had taken refuge, "raises serious concerns about possible violations of international law, particularly regarding attacks on places of worship and civilian areas."
He emphasized the need for full adherence to international humanitarian law, adding: “The deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian areas constitutes a war crime.”
Al-Khaithan noted that the UN Human Rights Council is continuing to examine the incident, which targeted a church sheltering approximately 600 Palestinians, including children and people with disabilities.
The UN Human Rights Council is composed of 47 member states elected by the majority of the UN General Assembly. Switzerland currently chairs the Council for the year 2025.
On Thursday, the Israeli military bombed the Holy Family Church in eastern Gaza City, killing three people and injuring nine others, including Gabriel Romanelli, who suffered minor injuries, according to a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
During its military campaign in Gaza, Israel has bombed three major churches: St. Porphyrius Church, the Holy Family Church, and the Baptist Church.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—backed by the United States—has been carrying out what has been described as a campaign of genocide in Gaza, resulting in more than 198,000 Palestinians killed or injured, most of them women and children, with over 10,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced amid a famine that has claimed many lives.