Johannesburg,South Africa

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has announced that the Israeli's sniper has killed two Christians women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza on Saturday noon.

All those people who were slaughtered by the sniper were not a threat to the Israeli ground forces and were only taking refuge in that building belong to a church.

"Around noon today,December 2023,16 a sniper of the IDF murdered two Christian women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza,where the majority of Christian families has taken refuge since the start of the war.Nahida and her daughter Samar were shot and killed as they walked to the Sister's Convent.One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety.Seven more people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others inside the church compound.No warning was given,no notification was provided.They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the Parish,where there are no belligerents,"said Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem on Saturday noon.

The IDF ruthless attack against defenseless disabled people and homeless civilians was not expected because Israeli forces are aware of that church building.

"Earlier in the morning,a rocket fired from an IDF tank targeted the Convent of the Sisters of Mother Theresa(Missionaries of Charity).The Convent is home to over 54 disabled persons and is part of the church compound,which was signaled as a place of worship since the beginning of the war.The building's generator(the only source of electricity) and the fuel resources were destroyed.The house was damaged by the resulting explosion and massive fire.Two more rockets,fired by an IDF tank,targeted the same Convent and rendered the home uninhabitable.The 54 disabled persons are currently displaced and without access to the respirators that some of them need to survive.

In addition,as a result of the heavy bombing in the area,three people were wounded inside the church compound last night.Furthermore,solar panels and water tanks,which are indispensable for the survival of the community,were destroyed",continued the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem statement.

The Israeli forces attack shock the church leadership and came in a bad time where the whole Christians community is busy preparing to celebrate Christmas.

"Together in prayer with the whole Christian community,we express our closeness and condolences to the families affected by this senseless tragedy.At the same time,we cannot but express that we are at a loss to comprehend how such an attack could be carried out,even more so as the whole Church prepares for Christmas,"Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem concluded.

Since October 07,the occupation army has killed more than 18,000 civilians which includes women,children and elderly and thousands remain trapped on the buildings rubble which destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.