Three nuns from the Missionaries of Charity order have chosen not to leave Gaza, continuing their work among the most vulnerable even as hostilities intensify.
They remain within the compound of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City, caring for disabled and elderly individuals despite severe damage to their convent in mid-December 2023 .
On December 16, a rocket strike hit their convent housed within the only Catholic parish in Gaza.
That same day, two women—a mother and daughter—were fatally shot while walking within the church grounds.
Their deaths occurred near the convent, where the sisters continue to offer shelter and care .
The convent, home to more than 50 disabled people, was left unlivable, forcing residents to move into the wider church complex .
Since then, the church itself has also come under fire. On July 17, 2025, Holy Family Church was hit by a strike that killed three people and wounded around fifteen others, including Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest.
Fragments from the blast damaged the large cross atop the church, and the strike marked the first time the building was directly hit in the conflict.
The attack caused widespread structural damage and renewed global concern for civilian sites in Gaza .
Inside the compound, the sisters continue to support daily routines—prayer, care for the disabled, makeshift clinics, and food distribution—to aid Christians and Muslims alike.
Despite dwindling resources, breakdown of infrastructure, and the depletion of fuel for generators, they stay to serve the local community .
These three sisters represent a long-standing presence in Gaza—their order has operated there since 1973, serving those in need for over fifty years.
While many foreign nationals have left the territory, one nun of Philippine origin has notably remained within the church compound, becoming the likely last Philippine national in Gaza.
In the midst of the conflict, their refusal to evacuate and determination to aid others has drawn attention to the civilian suffering in Gaza and the role of religious volunteers who stay despite danger.