On Wednesday, as a senior Vatican official visited Gaza to show solidarity with local Christians, Israeli aircraft conducted airstrikes on the Palestinian territory. The airstrikes were a response to incendiary balloons launched from the region, which led to fires in southern Israel.
The senior Vatican official, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, is a top-ranking representative of the Catholic Church. He conducted a three-day visit to the Gaza Strip, intending to meet with the small Christian community there. The Christian community in Gaza has been shrinking over the years due to economic hardship and the ongoing conflict with Israel. Currently, the number of Christians in Gaza is estimated to be less than 1,000, compared to approximately 3,000 in the early 2000s.
The Israeli military stated that its aircraft targeted a weapons manufacturing site and a military compound in the northern Gaza Strip. The strikes were a response to the incendiary balloons launched from the territory, which caused multiple fires in southern Israel. No casualties were reported from the airstrikes.
This incident marks a new round of violence after a brief period of relative calm following the 11-day war in May between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. The May conflict, which resulted in over 250 deaths, was the fourth major confrontation between the two sides since 2008.
Cardinal Sandri, who serves as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, has been visiting various Christian communities in the Middle East. His visit to Gaza comes at a time of heightened tension and is seen as a gesture of solidarity with the struggling Christian population in the region.
During his visit, the Cardinal celebrated mass at the Parish of the Holy Family and met with members of the Christian community, including the elderly and disabled. He also visited the St. Joseph's School and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, where he interacted with children and distributed gifts.
Despite the ongoing conflict and the shrinking Christian population, the Cardinal's visit served as a beacon of hope for the local Christians. His presence reinforced the message of unity and solidarity, a key tenet of the Christian faith.