Two Palestinian Christian Women Killed in Gaza City Airstrike

A mother and daughter, identified as Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and Mary Hafez Abu Daoud, were among five people killed in an airstrike on an apartment building in Gaza City. Church officials confirmed the deaths of the two women, whose funeral was held at the historic Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Alexios expressed their condolences following the tragedy.

Hamas-controlled health authorities reported that the strike also resulted in the deaths of two other women and a young man, with six others injured. While the Israeli military did not immediately confirm the specific strike, it maintains that it does not deliberately target civilians and accuses Hamas of using the population as human shields. The incident occurred amid ongoing tensions, as both Israel and Hamas trade accusations regarding violations of the ceasefire agreement that has been in place since October 2025.

The deaths represent a significant loss for Gaza’s dwindling Christian community, which is now estimated to number approximately 600 people. Many of these remaining Christians have sought shelter within church compounds as the conflict continues to impact the region.