Gaza: Church sounds the alarm for a population at the end of its strength

Without heating and with insufficient electricity, Gaza is sinking into extreme hardship as winter approaches.

The situation in Gaza is becoming “more terrible and unlivable every day. Words are no longer enough to describe it,” Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of Holy Family, the only Catholic parish in the Palestinian enclave, told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Recent flooding in the Gaza Strip has displaced people who have already lost their homes to war. Copyright: Aid to the Church in Need.

The torrential rains of recent days have worsened the living conditions of displaced people. Tens of thousands of tents have been flooded.

“Families have lost the little they still had to eat and sleep,” the priest laments.

According to the latest humanitarian assessments, more than 106,000 people have been directly affected by the severe weather, while over 26,000 households have requested assistance after flooding damaged their shelters and belongings. More than 6,000 family shelters are reported to have been destroyed, and a further 17,400 damaged.

The rains have also claimed lives. Among the victims were three young children and their mother, who died when a sand embankment collapsed onto their tent in Deir al-Balah. Humanitarian organizations have also reported the drowning of an infant.

And, as winter approaches, Fr. Romanelli describes an increasingly harsh reality: “Heating is impossible, unthinkable.”

Many homes have lost windows or external structures due to the bombardments. Tarpaulins and plastic sheeting used to protect buildings are often damaged or destroyed. With shorter days and less sunshine, solar panels will generate less electricity.

“New ones should be allowed into the enclave, but no one seems to hear the cry of the population,” Fr. Romanelli said.

Praying by candles and flashlight

The parish compound itself, which has accommodated many internally displaced persons since the beginning of hostilities between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas group, has limited access to electricity. Its generator operates for only part of the day, and the small amount of energy available is reserved for lighting, cooking and charging batteries.

“When night falls, Gaza becomes a land of darkness,” the parish priest says sadly.

“Many families pray by the light of flashlights or candles,” adds Bishop William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine, who also spoke with ACN.

According to humanitarian agencies, approximately 1.4 million people, around 65% of Gaza’s population, are currently living in tents or makeshift shelters. Nearly a million displaced people are believed to be living in flood-prone areas, making the coming winter months particularly dangerous.

Meanwhile, insecurity remains ever-present. The Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem recalled the death of two Orthodox Christian women in a strike on Gaza City on October 3.

“No place in the Gaza Strip is considered safe.”

The Israeli military line is now located less than 200 feet from the parish compound, which includes both the church and the school. Every day, 15 buses are required to transport students and teachers. Special arrangements are organized morning and evening to make these journeys as safe as possible.

A Church alongside the most vulnerable

“No one offers a sign of hope; no one says that the war will end, that the people of Gaza will be able to rebuild their homes and provide for themselves again,” Fr. Romanelli observes.

Humanitarian aid, which still does not enter the enclave on a regular basis, is far from sufficient.

The parish remains committed to “continuing to do good.” It still shelters 80 displaced people, distributes purified water to its neighbors, most of whom are Muslim, and shares food assistance with them.

“Most of our neighbors lack everything. And when I say everything, I really mean everything,” Fr. Romanelli insists.

The Latin Patriarchate supports the parish in its work with the help of Catholic organizations.

“We particularly appreciate the fact that ACN listens to our real priorities and seeks to respond to the needs we identify on the ground,” Bishop Shomali stresses. Among the initiatives currently supported by ACN in Gaza is an emergency aid project, including help for 148 Christian children to cope with the harsh winter conditions.

The bishop expressed his gratitude for the donations received, which often represent “a personal sacrifice” and also convey an essential message: “The Christians of the Holy Land have not been forgotten.”

Even under these particularly difficult circumstances, the Church remains a visible sign of Christian hope and solidarity, serving all those in need without distinction of religion or origin.

A new priest in Gaza

The parish has also received a welcome pastoral reinforcement: Fr. Luis Montes, a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, was officially welcomed on November 8, during a Sunday Mass at which he presided.

Fr. Luis Montes, I.V.E., second from right, joins the Church of the Holy Family’s two priests, from left, Fr. Carlos Ferrero, I.V.E., and Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, I.V.E. Copyright: Aid to the Church in Need.

“It is a blessing,” says the parish priest.

A native of Argentina, Fr. Montes has served as a missionary in Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon. He speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and Arabic.

The Gaza parish now has three priests, including Fr. Carlos Ferrero, I.V.E. All three are priests of the Institute of the Incarnate Word.

Fr. Romanelli also wishes to be the voice of those in Gaza who are no longer being heard. He calls for the enclave to regain its place in the attention of the media and the international community, for borders to be opened to both doctors and patients in need of medical care, and for the humanitarian emergency not to overshadow the urgency of a just peace.

“Peace is possible and justice is necessary, for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been working for years alongside the local Church to support the Christian communities of the Holy Land. Its initiatives include employment projects for Christian families in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the modernization of a Catholic printing press in Bethlehem, and support for the Latin Patriarchal Seminary of Beit Jala, including improvements to its facilities for religious formation. The foundation also supports Christian education, especially for students from economically disadvantaged families, to which it allocated around $466,000 in the Holy Land between 2025 and 2026. In Gaza, ACN is currently supporting an emergency relief project to help people cope with the harsh winter conditions.

–Christophe Lafontaine