GAZA, August 27, 2025 (WAFA) –The Emergency Committee of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City announced on Wednesday evening that they decided to remain at the church compound in the Gaza Strip.

Referring to the joint statement issued by the Latin Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Committee said that it decided to remain at the church and continue its work in support of the priests and nuns in continuing to care for and serve all those who remain inside the church compound despite that Israel has commenced a massive onslaught to take control of the city and issued ‘evacuation’ orders to hundreds of thousands of civilians, including Christians, paving the way for their forceful displacement to the south of the Strip, amidst heavy bombardment.

Citing the joint statement of the Patriarchates, the Committee reiterated: “Like other residents of Gaza City, the refugees living in the facilities will have to decide according to their conscience what they will do. Among those who have sought shelter within the walls of the compounds, many are weakened and malnourished due to the hardships of the last months. Leaving Gaza City and trying to flee to the south would be nothing less than a death sentence. For this reason, the clergy and nuns have decided to remain and continue to care for all those who will be in the compounds.”

The committee affirmed that since the first day of Israel’s genocidal war, which killed 62,895 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 158,927 others, it has spared no effort to serve not only the displaced people inside the church but also the community outside.

A.D./ K.F.