Overview

• The Greek Orthodox and Latin Patriarchates said clergy and nuns at Saint Porphyrius and the Holy Family compounds will stay to shelter hundreds, including children, elderly people and residents with disabilities cared for by the Sisters Missionaries of Charity.
• The IDF has begun initial operations to take Gaza City and called up 50,000 to 60,000 reservists, with evacuation orders reported in some neighborhoods and a wider plan to clear the city by October 7.
• The churches denounced Israel’s takeover plan and mass displacement as unjust, echoed Pope Leo XIV’s appeal to respect peoples’ rights, and urged an end to the war and the release of hostages.
• A July strike hit the Holy Family church compound, killing three and wounding at least nine including the parish priest; the IDF labeled it stray fire and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a mistake.
• Israel also faces criticism over a strike on a Khan Younis hospital reported to have killed journalists and medical staff, while an initial IDF review said several of those killed were militants and Netanyahu called the incident a tragic mishap.