Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has expressed his sorrow over the deaths of five Palestinians in a strike on a residential building in Gaza City, including two Greek Orthodox Christian women, and assured Gaza's Christian community of his prayers.
The Pope sent a personal message to Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City, after the deaths of Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and her daughter, Mary Hafez Michel Najjar.
"Since learning the painful news of the deaths of Maysa and Mary, I have been praying to God for them, for their families and for the entire community of Gaza. How long, O Lord?" Pope Leo wrote.
He also thanked Father Romanelli for accompanying the parish and people who want to live in peace, and sent his blessing and an affectionate embrace.
The two women were among five Palestinians killed in an overnight strike on a residential building in the Rimal area of western Gaza City in the early hours of October 3. Palestinian health and civil defence officials said four of those killed were women.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem identified the women as Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and Mary Hafez Michel Najjar. It said they were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the night of October 2.
Their funeral was held on October 3 at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, where Metropolitan Alexios, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchal Vicar, prayed for their eternal rest. Friends, relatives and members of the Christian community gathered for the funeral.
Israel's military said it had carried out an overnight strike targeting Ali al Amoudi, a senior Hamas figure in Gaza. However, it was not immediately clear whether that was the same strike that killed the five Palestinians. The Israeli military said the results of its operation were still under review.
The strike destroyed the residential building and caused a fire. Several other people were wounded and taken to Al Shifa Hospital, according to Palestinian medical sources.
The deaths have added to the fears of Gaza's small Christian community, which has faced severe hardship during the conflict. The Christian community has also used church compounds as places of refuge for people displaced by the fighting.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed condolences following the deaths of Maysa and Mary. He prayed for their families and for the Christian community in Gaza.
In a separate interview published on October 5, Pizzaballa said Israelis and Palestinians remain trapped in a deep and unresolved trauma linked to the October 7, 2023 attacks and the war that followed.
He said the intensity of the fighting had declined compared with the period of widespread bombardment, but warned that daily life and humanitarian conditions could in some ways be worse.
"Reconstruction has not begun, living conditions have not improved; indeed, in some respects, they have even worsened," he said.
The Cardinal also warned about the approaching winter. Large numbers of displaced people are living in tents, and heavy rain could create further difficulties for families already struggling with poor living conditions.
The United Nations has also warned of serious humanitarian challenges in Gaza. The World Health Organization said on October 5 that delays in bringing essential medicines, prosthetics and other medical supplies into Gaza were putting people at risk.
The UN said the humanitarian situation remained overwhelming nearly 12 months into a fragile ceasefire. It also warned that almost two million people needed shelter to protect them from cold weather and flooding as winter approaches.
Despite the difficult conditions, the Catholic community in Gaza has continued efforts to provide education and support.
The Latin Patriarchate School in Gaza reopened for the 2026 to 2027 academic year on September 22. The school welcomed 1,005 students from kindergarten through Grade 12 after nearly three years of disrupted education.
The school is currently the only Christian educational institution operating in Gaza, according to the Latin Patriarchate. Seventy seven teachers have returned to work, while additional activities are being developed to provide psychological support for children and teachers.
Pizzaballa described the reopening of the school as an important sign that the community wants to begin again despite the continuing difficulties.
For Gaza's Christian community, the Pope's message has come at a moment of renewed grief but also continued efforts to preserve ordinary life, education and faith amid the wider humanitarian crisis.