On July 17, the Israeli army bombed the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people and injuring at least 10 years. The parish priest, Gabriele Romanelli, who had almost daily calls with the late Pope Francis, was among the wounded.
After the attack, there were declarations of conviction. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called him “unacceptable”. Pope Leo said he was “deeply saddened” by this – a statement that many considered “vague” and “cowardly”.
The Israeli government quickly said that it “regretted” the attack.
In the midst of world indignation, the Latin patriarchy of Jerusalem was able to negotiate church officials to visit the Christian community, deliver food and drugs limited to Christian and Muslim families, and evacuate some of the wounded for treatment outside Gaza.
These humanitarian actions, although welcomed by those who need it in Gaza, are still another sign of international failure. Why should the delivery of food, water and medicine be “won” by negotiation? Why are fundamental rights registered in international law subject to political negotiation?
Palestinians deeply appreciate the efforts of church leaders. Their actions reflect compassion and moral clarity. But such steps should not be necessary. Under international humanitarian law, occupying powers have binding obligations towards the people under their control. The guarantee of access to food, water, drugs and critical services cannot be charities – these are legal tasks.
The Fourth Geneva Convention in 1949 and the 1907 Hague regulation clearly indicate that civilians in occupied territory must be protected and provided with essential services, in particular when the occupying power controls borders, infrastructure and life suspension resources. Blocking or delaying aid is not only inhuman – it is equivalent to a war crime.
International law also prohibits the power of occupation from force the local population forcibly or to settle its own citizens on occupied land – practices that Israel continues in Gaza and in the West Bank with impunity. The occupant must ensure uninterrupted humanitarian access without delay, coercive political or compromise conditions.
Israel has failed to comply with all these counts. But instead of dealing with consequences on its use of collective punishment, famine tactics and attacks on civil infrastructure – churches, hospitals, bakeries, schools – Israel receives concessions in exchange for promising to comply with basic legal standards. These “transactions” are then shot as diplomatic “success” by the powers that participate.
During a recent conference in Amman, the European Union ambassador to Jordan, Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, revealed as much. According to him, the EU’s “discussions” on taking measures on the inability of Israel to comply with the provisions of human rights of the EU-Israel partnership agreement led to “effective political pressure”. As a result, Israel has “agreed” to allow an increase in food and aid deliveries, fuel for electricity and desalination, infrastructure repairs, reopening humanitarian corridors through Egypt and Jordan and access to UN humanitarian workers and observers.
This agreement led to the shelves of 10 sanctions proposed by the EU. Amnesty International described this decision as a “cruel and illegal betrayal” of its declared principles.
The problem with this “agreement” is that Israel cannot implement it, just like with all the others before. According to EU sources mentioned in the media, Israel only authorizes 80 trucks per day, when Gaza needs more than 500. If 80 trucks enter and what part of this aid really reaches its planned recipients is not clear.
The gangs regularly attack convoys of aid and the Israeli army shoots anyone who tries to protect these trucks from looters.
Various agencies and organizations sound alarms about the malnutrition epidemic killing children daily. Famine is real even if the UN, under pressure, is not yet prepared to declare it.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces and foreign mercenaries continue to kill people in search of aid on distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humaninian Foundation (GHF), which was created to remove the functions of the United Nations agencies, including UNWA, its help agency for Palestinian refugees. Nearly 900 people have been killed on these sites since the start of GHF operations at the end of May.
If the EU as a whole will not act, individual member states always have legal responsibility. At a minimum, European countries should suspend arms transfers, prohibit trade with illegal establishments and put an end to cooperation with accomplices of occupation and apartheid. These are not optional political positions. These are legal obligations. And this applies to the rest of the world.
The danger of calling on Israel will help instead of forcing it to do so by sanctions is clear: when war crimes are ignored in exchange for temporary relief, impunity becomes normalized. Famine becomes an acceptable weapon of war. Civil lives are transformed into negotiation tokens.
The international community – including the EU, religious institutions and world leaders – must continue to extend compassion and aid. But that should not replace justice. Mercy must be twinned by a resolution: Israel must be bound by its legal and moral obligations. Palestinians – Christians and Muslims – should not be treated as pawns but as human beings entitled to dignity, security and peace.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Tel Aviv Tribune.