Gaza church funeral for mother and daughter killed in reported air strike
Maysa Abu Daoud and Mary al-Najjar were among five Palestinians reported killed in an attack on Gaza City’s Remal neighbourhood.
Mourners gathered at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City for the funeral of Maysa Abu Daoud and her daughter Mary al-Najjar, among five Palestinians reported killed in an Israeli air attack on Saturday.
Al Jazeera reported that the strike hit the ground floor of a building in the Remal neighbourhood at about 1.30am local time. The report cited Mary’s son, Fouad al-Najjar, on the timing. The account did not include an Israeli response or independent verification of the reported deaths and circumstances.
The women had helped parishioners and displaced people sheltering at Holy Family Church, according to Palestine’s Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Jerusalem’s Latin patriarch, expressed sorrow and offered condolences to their loved ones and Gaza’s Christian community.
The report says fewer than 1,000 Christians live in Gaza. It also recounts previous deadly attacks affecting church sites since the war began in October 2023, including an attack on the Saint Porphyrius Church compound and strikes at Holy Family Church.
Al Jazeera described Saturday’s attack as a violation of a US-brokered ceasefire. The material provided does not include further details on the agreement or a response from Israeli authorities.
