QADER for Community Development condemns the targeting of the Missionaries of Charity and Peace Sisters' building in Gaza.

QADER condemns the Israeli occupation forces' targeting of the Missionaries of Charity and Peace Sisters' building in Gaza, belonging to the Latin Patriarchate, on Saturday, December 16, 2023. This act is considered a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, the laws of war, and customary international law.

The targeting of the Sisters' House resulted in the martyrdom of one of the workers and her mother, with several others injured. It also threatened the lives of the workers and children in the building. The attack destroyed an entire wing of the building and disabled the power generators, endangering the lives of the children and workers. The children with severe disabilities were deprived of basic life essentials, as water and electricity sources, necessary for their survival and safety, were damaged.

The Missionaries of Charity and Peace building hosts more than 75 residents with severe disabilities, the majority of whom are children. They require daily care and support. The building is the only specialized care center providing social and rehabilitative services to a wide range of individuals with severe disabilities, particularly children.

QADER stresses that international humanitarian law prohibits the targeting of civilian, religious, and sacred institutions, and calls on the international community to take responsibility for protecting places of worship and sacred sites, especially those sheltering civilians in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. It also demands accountability for the occupying state’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian gathering centers, as such actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

QADER expresses its deep solidarity and condolences to the workers and residents of care centers for disabled adults and children in Gaza and their families and reaffirms its continued humanitarian efforts to ensure that people with disabilities, particularly children, receive the necessary care and humanitarian services, especially amid the ongoing assault on Gaza.