(LifeSiteNews) — Father Gabriel Romanelli, an Argentinian Catholic priest in Gaza, is sounding the alarm on the continued bombardment of civilians by the Israeli Defense Force.
In a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need, Romanelli, who is from Buenos Aires, highlighted the escalating number of deaths that have occurred in the region.
“Recently the number of children killed in this war surpassed 17,000. More than 17,000! It’s terrible, terrible. We have had over 50,000 people killed in this war, and over 110,000 wounded, many of them amputees,” he said.
Romanelli is the parish priest of Holy Family Church in Gaza, which was been repeatedly targeted by Israeli soldiers. Just last month, bombing strikes came within 400 meters of the compound. In 2023, Israeli snipers were accused of murdering two women who were sheltering at the church.
“Seven more people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others inside the church compound,” declared Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. “No warning was given … they were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the parish.”
Romanelli is a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word and has been stationed in Gaza since 2019, having previously spent time in Egypt. He pleaded for peace in his video message.
“One more day of war won’t solve the situation: it will only make it worse,” he said.
