BREAKING Gaza Catholic Church's Priest Fr. Romanelli says "We cannot continue like this. It's inhumane" as Borders Close
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Gaza Crossings Close
Vatican City — Israel has implemented a total closure of all crossings into the Gaza Strip. Confirmed by COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry body responsible for Palestinian territories, the move is cited as "security adjustments" linked to escalating regional tensions and joint Israeli-US military actions regarding Iran. No reopening date has been specified.
For the exhausted civilian population, this means the sole lifeline for humanitarian aid, medical evacuations, and essential goods has been severed.
A "Tragic" Reality in Gaza City
Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Latin community in Gaza City, describes the current state of affairs as "tragic, terrible." While some aid had been trickling in, it has never met the scale of the disaster.
"Humanitarian aid is coming in, but it's not enough," Romanelli explains, "and even though the heavy bombing has stopped, the assistance isn't enough to meet everyone's needs."
The closure compounds an existing economic collapse. While some goods have recently resurfaced in local markets, they remain out of reach for a population stripped of its livelihood.
"Some products have reappeared—fruit, meat, cheese—goods that had almost disappeared during the most difficult months of the war. But prices are very high, and most people can't even afford to pay," the priest observes. "Most people have lost everything: their homes, their jobs, their wages."
The Infrastructure of Survival
The ban on NGOs and the halt of supplies have crippled basic services. Infrastructure for electricity and water remains largely non-existent or prohibitively expensive.
Energy: "Since the beginning of the conflict, there has been no regular electricity," says Romanelli. "To produce it, we use a few generators, but it's really very expensive. There are almost no solar panels, and so far, it seems they're not allowed to bring them in to meet the needs of the community and society."
Water: Access to clean water has become a grueling daily struggle. "Drinking water is a precious commodity, and even though there are several companies that distribute it to the neighborhoods, it's not enough. People sometimes have to wait one, two, three, or four hours for five, ten, or fifteen liters of drinking water." He notes that while "municipal water" exists in theory, "for the majority of the population, there's none of this because everything was destroyed in the bombings."
The Impact of the NGO Ban
The prohibition of NGO personnel and resources entering the Strip is expected to have a domino effect on survival programs. Father Romanelli warns that "without NGOs and clean water, everything will be more difficult."
"It will impact the entire society, including the Christian community. For example, one of the organizations, which we call 'international cuisine' here, which distributes food to hundreds, thousands of people, has said it will stop providing meat and other foods. The same could happen with drinking water."
A Plea for Moral Reconstruction
Despite the "great depression" gripping the territory, the community persists. Schools operate with limited attendance and small survival stalls have emerged in markets. However, Father Romanelli insists that these are not permanent solutions.
"We cannot continue like this. It's inhumane and cannot contribute to justice and peace," he asserts. "We must find solutions now. The international community, as always, is called upon to truly allow the entry of substantial humanitarian aid. It will be necessary not only for physical reconstruction, but above all for the moral and existential reconstruction of the lives of the people here. And this will contribute to peace."
This sentiment echoes the recent words of Pope Leo XIV, who warned that "peace is not built through mutual threats or weapons" and called for the avoidance of an "irreparable abyss" in the Middle East.
Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/it/chiesa/news/2026-03/gaza-guerra-israele-netanyahu-romanelli-chiesa-palestina-ong.html
Image: Gaza Catholic Church Official Facebook March 3, 2026 Page: https://www.facebook.com/holyfamilychurchgaza
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