Religious leaders enter Gaza in solidarity visit

TOP church leaders in Jerusalem have travelled to Gaza in a rare solidarity visit to the territory one day after an Israeli shell slammed into its only Catholic church, killing three people.

- AP REPORTER

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza on Friday morning to express the “shared pastoral solicitude of the churches of the Holy Land” according to a statement released by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The patriarchs and their delegation arrived at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza in the afternoon. As well as the three people killed in the strike, 10 were wounded, including the resident priest. The church compound was damaged.

The delegation was also planning on sending hundreds of tonnes of food aid, medical supplies and equipment to families inside Gaza, the patriarchate said, adding they also had “ensured evacuation” of people injured in the attack to hospitals outside Gaza.