French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly condemned the Israeli occupation’s shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, which has been under historic French protection for over a century. The strike killed three civilians and injured around ten others, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

In a post on X, Macron said he had spoken with the Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and expressed France’s full solidarity with Palestinian Christians “from Gaza to Taybeh” who are now under threat. He called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of civilians from the dangers of a “perpetual war.”

France’s foreign ministry confirmed that the Latin parish in Gaza is protected under agreements signed between France and the Ottoman Empire, still recognised by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities. The French consulate in Jerusalem reaffirmed that the parish remains under France’s historical responsibility.

Palestinians view the targeting of the church as further evidence that no sacred site is safe under Israeli occupation.