PARIS /PNN/

 France has strongly condemned what it described as an “unacceptable” Israeli military strike on the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, which killed three people and injured around ten others.

French President Emmanuel Macron decried the attack on the Latin Church in Gaza City on Thursday, expressing solidarity with Palestinian Christians. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) late Thursday, Macron said, “I spoke with Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem,” reaffirming France’s solidarity with Palestinian Christians, “who are today under threat, from Gaza to Taybeh.”

Macron stressed that the continuation of the war was “unjustifiable,” adding, “A ceasefire must be established immediately, and civilians and hostages must be freed from the threat of perpetual war.”

The French President’s comments followed those of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who also condemned the Israeli shelling of the Church of the Holy Family, a site under France’s historic protection.

In a statement on X, Barrot said he had conveyed France’s sympathy and solidarity to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. “These attacks are unacceptable. It is time to stop the carnage in Gaza,” he wrote.

The French foreign minister also held a phone call with Patriarch Pizzaballa, reaffirming France’s support for the Christian community in Gaza following the assault on the church, which has enjoyed French protection since the 1913 Constantinople Agreements.

France reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and the complete lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid to allow the UN and other organisations that adhere to international law to deliver substantial, unhindered, and dignified assistance to civilians in Gaza.