Top Hamas officials on Monday visited the Latin (Catholic) Church of the Holy Family in the Gaza Strip and offered the Movement’s congratulations to Father Gabriel Romanelli for succeeding Father Mario da Silva as pastor of the Catholic community in the coastal enclave.
The delegation applauded the strong relationship between the Muslim and Christian Palestinians who “share the same homeland and national cause.”
Hamas official Basem Naim who led the delegation expressed his pride in the nature of coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Palestine in general and Gaza in particular highlighting his Movement’s keenness on strengthening the relationship with the Christian community in Gaza.
Naim stressed that his Movement would not allow anyone to harm spoil or discredit the relationship between the Christians and Muslims in Palestine describing the Christian community as “an important component of the Palestinian people.”
He affirmed that the interior ministry in Gaza is always keen on providing security for all citizens with no discrimination.
The delegation was received Father Mario Da Silva outgoing Parish Priest of the Latin Church of the Holy Family in Gaza and his successor Father Gabriel Romanelli in the presence of some church officials.
Da Silva for his part hailed the deep-rooted relationship between Muslims and Christians in Gaza asserting that “they have been living as one family for hundreds of years.”
He expressed his thanks to the security authorities and the leadership in Gaza for their keenness on keeping in touch with the Christian community and reaching out to them asserting that the Christians in Gaza do not feel at all that they are targeted.
