The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has condemned the July 17, 2025, Israeli military assault on the Holy Family Catholic Church compound in Gaza, which left three civilians dead, including two members of the Christian Palestinian community, and several others wounded.

In the July 18 statement, Bishops from the three member countries of the SACBC – South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini described the attack as a “crime against humanity” and a direct violation of international law.

In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing deep concern over the attack and the escalating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

The Holy See Press Office confirmed the conversation, during which the Pope “renewed his appeal for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war.” The Holy Father, speaking from his residence in Castel Gandolfo, also stressed “the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel.”

In their statement, the SACBC bishops join their “voices with Pope Leo XIV in calling for a lasting ceasefire and for the release of hostages – including those in administrative detention.”

The Holy Family Church, Gaza’s only Catholic parish, was directly struck by Israeli tank fire at approximately 10:20 a.m. on July 17, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Among the injured is the parish priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, a close friend of the late Pope Francis. At the time of the attack, the church was sheltering around 600 displaced Palestinians who had sought sanctuary after their homes were destroyed.

In a follow-up call on July 18, Pope Leo XIV reached out to Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to “express his closeness, care, prayer, support, and desire to do everything possible to achieve not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy.”

Cardinal Pizzaballa in public remarks, questioned the Israeli army’s claim that the church strike was accidental. “What we know for sure is that a tank struck the Church… the IOF claims it was a mistake, but we are not sure about that,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa.

The SACBC, in their official statement, described the attack as not only a military crime but a spiritual and moral outrage. “We condemn this heinous act in the strongest possible terms,” the bishops declared.

In the July 18 statement, the Catholic bishops re-affirmed their full support of South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

“The response to the massacre is now widely acknowledged across the world as genocide and ethnic cleansing. We share that assessment and so have given our support to the South African government’s case at the ICJ in The Hague accusing Israel of perpetrating acts of genocide,” said the bishops in the statement signed by the SACBC president Cardinal Stephen Brislin.

The bishops drew on the teachings of Pope Francis, particularly from Fratelli Tutti – the Encyclical letter on Fraternity and Social Friendship, where he wrote, “Every act of violence against a human being is a wound in humanity’s flesh. Every violent death diminishes us as people.” With this conviction, the bishops implored all Catholics and people of good will to speak out, act non-violently, and support campaigns to end arms sales to the region.

The bishops called for “nonviolent action, for boycotts in several spheres, protest action and denunciation of the spread of war across the Middle East. It has become one of the last acts of solidarity open to us and so we offer our condemnation of the hostilities in that spirit, with the hope that all people of goodwill will respond.”

The Latin Patriarchate has also called on global leaders “to raise their voices and to do all that is necessary in order to stop this tragedy, which is humanly and morally unjustified.” The statement highlighted that “death, suffering and destruction are everywhere,” and added, “The time has come to restore human dignity.”

Meanwhile, Cardinal Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III have personally entered Gaza to offer humanitarian support and pastoral care to survivors.