Fears mount for Gaza’s tiny Christian community after mom and daughter shot dead
The fatal shooting of a mother and daughter in Gaza’s only Catholic church over the weekend highlights the pressure Christians in Gaza are under, with fears mounting that an already small population — and the rich history it carries — will be wiped out in the brutal war between Israel and Hamas.
TEL AVIV — The fatal shooting of a mother and daughter in Gaza’s only Catholic church over the weekend highlights the pressure Christians in the enclave are under, with fears mounting that their tiny population could be wiped out during the war.
In the weeks since Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, many members of the enclave’s ancient Christian community of some 1,000 sought refuge in two church complexes in the north: the St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church and the nearby Catholic Holy Family Church.
On Saturday, a mother and her adult daughter were shot dead while walking inside the grounds of the Holy Family Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic regional body whose territory formally includes Cyprus, Jordan, Israel and Palestinian territories, said in a statement.
“They were shot in cold blood,” the patriarchate said of Nahida Anton and her daughter, Samar Anton, blaming an Israel Defense Forces sniper. “One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety,” while at least seven others were shot and wounded as they tried to “protect others inside the church compound,” it said.
Nahida Boulos Anton and her daughter Samar Antoun were killed at the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Gaza on Dec. 16, 2023.Photo via XThe patriarchate later shared photos on X showing what they told NBC News showed a heavily damaged part of the church complex. Fire can be seen still burning, while much of the area is burned out. NBC News was not immediately able to independently verify the images.
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