Mother and Daughter Reportedly Killed in IDF Attack on Gaza Church Sheltering Christian Civilians
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The IDF reportedly killed a mother and daughter as part of an attack on a parish complex in Gaza where Christian families are sheltering.
The Details: According to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the mother and daughter were walking to the Sisters’ Convent to use the bathroom when they were killed. Seven others were reportedly wounded in the attack. The IDF said it spoke with church representatives early on Saturday, who reported hearing explosions in the area but did not report any casualties. Israel is reportedly investigating the claim.
For Context: Hundreds of civilians, including 54 disabled people, are reportedly sheltering in the parish complex, including family members of UK MP Layla Moran, who said humanitarian conditions at the church are critical and worsening. Gaza’s tiny Christian community has dwindled in recent years.
Key Quotes: Israel said, "The IDF only targets terrorists and terror infrastructure and does not target civilians.” Moran, who told the UK House of Commons she lost a family member sheltering in Gaza on November 15, said, “There are snipers at every window pointing into the church, still shooting anyone emerging from buildings to use, for example, toilets. Still no food or water.” The patriarchate said “No warning was given” and that “there are no belligerents” in the church.
How The Media Covered It: Media across the spectrum elevated Pope Francis’ comments and included context on Moran’s family. CNN (Lean Left bias) noted remarks from Moran saying her family reported the presence of white phosphorus in attacks on the church.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Pope speaks out after IDF sniper kills two women inside Gaza church, per Catholic authoritiesAn 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...
From the Center
Pope Francis deplores Israeli killings of civilians in Gaza churchPope Francis on Sunday again suggested Israel was using "terrorism" tactics in Gaza, deploring the reported killing by the Israeli military of two Christian women who had taken refuge in a church complex.
At his weekly blessing, Francis referred to a statement about an incident on Saturday by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic authority in the Holy Land.
The Patriarchate said an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) "sniper" killed the two women, whom the pope named as Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar, as they walked to a...
From the Right
Christian mother and daughter shot dead by Israeli sniper in church grounds in Gaza CityA Christian mother and daughter were killed in “cold blood” by an Israeli sniper in the grounds of a Catholic church in Gaza City, the diocese of Jerusalem said.
Nahida and her daughter Samar were inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, where the majority of Christian families have taken refuge since the start of the war, when they were shot dead with no warning.
“One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.
“They were shot in cold blood...
AllSides Picks
May 8th, 2024
May 7th, 2024
May 7th, 2024
May 6th, 2024