Bethlehem, 14 March, 2024 / 12:00 pm (ACI Africa).
The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has released a report highlighting that the Christian community in Gaza “is going through the worst period” since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.
According to the report released on March 8, Gaza is facing difficult times, with shelling, disrupted communications, and food shortages. Sister Nabila Saleh, a religious of the Holy Rosary Congregation, described the situation as distressing but is grateful for God’s grace even in adversity.
“The little we have is because of God’s grace. The people outside suffer even more than we do, because they don’t have that consolation at this time,” she said.
Holy Family Parish in the neighborhood of Al Zeyton, in the north of the Gaza Strip, is one of the places affected by the intense clashes and bombardments. The church is currently sheltering 128 families — a total of 512 Christians, both Catholics and Orthodox — including 120 children under the age of 18, among them 60 with disabilities, and 84 elderly people.
An ACN project partner operating in the area, whose name cannot be disclosed for security reasons, reported that “the intensity of military operations increases” every time a truce is mentioned and that food shortages are at a critical point.
