In a powerful appeal published by Vatican News, Fr. Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, has condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza, focusing on its devastating impact on children. His message follows the death of nine siblings in an Israeli airstrike, leaving a single child, Adam, as the only of the siblings left.
According to Fr. Faltas, the children were at home with their father, Hamdi, when the building was struck by two missiles. Nine children died. Adam and his father were pulled from the rubble alive, but in critical condition. Their mother, Alaa, a pediatric doctor on duty at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, received them at the hospital. Both parents are medical professionals who have spent months treating injured children amid war-time shortages.
The priest’s intervention, titled “The Children and Babies of Gaza Are Not the Enemy,” was published on May 26 in several languages. It includes a first-hand account of the strike and questions the moral reasoning behind attacks that target civilian homes and schools.
“The most beautiful and truthful age of life is being stained by the immorality of violence and the absurdity of hatred,” he wrote. “Children are not enemies. When we protect them, when we defend their rights, they grow into people of peace.”
Fr. Faltas also referenced a separate airstrike that reportedly hit a school the same morning. A video circulating online shows a young girl attempting to flee as flames close in. He described the scene as emblematic of a broader moral collapse: “Violence corrodes the heart of humanity like acid.”
Shared humanity
The Custody of the Holy Land, under the Franciscan Order, has long served Christian communities in the Middle East, including through education, healthcare, and social services. Fr. Faltas, an Egyptian-born Franciscan, has been a vocal advocate for nonviolence and dialogue throughout past conflicts in the region.
He invoked the name “Adam” — Hebrew for “earth” — to emphasize shared humanity. “Did this mother, who gave life to 10 children, give birth to enemies?” he asked. “Does she not also save other people’s children with her hands, regardless of who they are?”
While the Vatican has not released an official diplomatic statement regarding the incident, the article signals the concern within the Catholic Church about the human cost of the conflict, especially for children.
Fr. Faltas ended his reflection by praising the resilience of Adam’s mother, who continues to serve as a doctor despite her personal loss.
“Her heart is wounded,” he wrote, “but there is still room for love, still room to spread peace.”
The piece echoes earlier Vatican appeals for an immediate ceasefire and a humanitarian corridor into Gaza. Pope Francis repeatedly called for the protection of civilians and a negotiated path to peace, stating that “every human life is sacred.” The Holy Father made regular phone calls to Gaza's only Catholic parish. He notably also said that there should be an investigation into the possibility that genocide is occurring in Gaza.
