Latin Patriarchate says IDF killed women at Gaza parish 'in cold blood' | 16 Dec 2023 | After two women were killed and several others injured in a series of targeted attacks on a Catholic church and convent by the Israeli military in Gaza, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the violence, especially as Christmas draws near. In a Dec. 16 statement, the patriarchate said that around noon that day, "a sniper of the [Israeli Defense Force] murdered two Christian women inside the Holy Family parish in Gaza, where the majority of Christian families have taken refuge since the start of the war." More than 600 people are currently sheltering in Holy Family Catholic parish in Gaza, including most of the city's small Christian minority, having sought refuge in convents and places of worship.