The White House has raised concerns with Israel after one of its snipers fatally shot a mother and daughter sheltering in Gaza’s only Catholic church.
“We have raised our concerns about this particular incident with the Israeli government about the need for those who have injuries or who have been wounded, to be able to be safely evacuated so they can receive appropriate medical treatment,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday.
Kirby said “more can be done” by Israel to better protect civilians in Gaza, as the death toll continues to mount.
He, however, added that the US had not “seen any evidence that the Israelis are making it an aim of war, and a tactical operational necessity, to go out and slaughter innocent people.”
“Now it is happening that people are being killed, people are being wounded. We recognize that, but it’s a far cry from saying it’s a part of their war aims,” Kirby said.
Pope Francis appealed on Sunday for an end to the war ravaging the Holy Land, praying especially for Christians sheltered in the Holy Family Catholic Parish in #Gaza.https://t.co/qlgCuqDhDU pic.twitter.com/bzPsPs1yEQ
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 17, 2023
Church Condemns the ‘Murder’
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem described Saturday’s shooting of the mother and her daughter as “murder.”
In a statement, it said that an Israeli sniper “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 sisters’ convent,” the statement said. “One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety.”
Seven other people were wounded while attempting to protect others on the church compound, it said.
“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,” the patriarchate said.
During a TV interview, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Nahoum stuttered and denied the existence of churches and Christians in Gaza, claiming they were 'driven out by Hamas.'
The host later confronted her about the recent killing of Christians in the Holy Family Parish church two… pic.twitter.com/jpO1JiwP7w— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 19, 2023
The incident was deplored by Pope Francis on Sunday, who called it “terrorism”.
“I continue to receive very serious and painful news from Gaza. Unarmed civilians are subjected to bombings and shootings,” the pope reportedly lamented.
“And this even happened inside the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, sick and disabled people, nuns.”
Israel said the killings are under review, according to the Anadolu news agency.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 19,667 Palestinians have been killed and 52,586 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
(Palestine Chronicle, Anadolu)
America could have stopped this at any time, instead they encourage and enable it. It’s been decades. Zionists in Israel, America, as well as UK, France, Germany, are the problem. but the larger issue is that the citizens in all countries are misinformed and uneducated as to the real truth.
Now just imagine if a Hamas sniper had killed two Israeli women under identical circumstances. US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby would not be at all mealy-mouthed and arse-licking – he would’ve come out and declred it a hideous crime of terrorism, showing that Hamas had no respect for civilians, yadayadayada, ad nauseam.