In a series of emails obtained by POLITICO, it has been revealed that a church and a convent in Gaza, which were struck last week, had been listed among Christian facilities that congressional staffers had flagged to Israeli authorities for protection. The emails, dated from October 14 to October 26, showed the desperate back-and-forth between Catholic Relief Services, one of the largest Christian aid organizations in Gaza, and Senate staff in their attempt to secure a commitment from Israel to avoid targeting buildings where their staff and civilians were seeking shelter.

The public statement from the aid organization stated that an Israeli rocket had landed in the Convent of the Missionaries of Charity and that snipers had shot and killed a mother and daughter who were walking on the grounds of the Holy Family Church. The two buildings share a compound. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged that it had conducted an operation against Hamas near the Convent of the Missionaries of Charity during the reported time of the shelling and stated that it is reviewing the incident.

According to the emails, Catholic Relief Services provided the coordinates of several buildings, including the two that were later struck, to Senate staffers, who then forwarded them to the Israeli military. The Israeli officials confirmed receiving the list of coordinates but stated that they "can't guarantee" the safety of the civilians inside the buildings.

These emails shed light on the challenges faced by aid organizations in their attempts to protect their buildings and staff from being hit and raise questions about the alleged Israeli strikes. The IDF confirmed to the Senate staffers that it had located the positions of the buildings on the list, including the two that were hit. The emails also provide new details on the involvement of lawmakers in trying to interfere with the Israeli government to protect humanitarian organizations, recognizing the difficult situation in densely populated Gaza, where accurate information is limited and Hamas is known to embed its fighters and weapons among civilians.

The IDF did not respond to requests for comment, and the Senate staffers and aid organization were granted anonymity due to concerns for their safety.

The emails depict frantic messages exchanged between the aid organization and congressional staffers as they tried to help the Israeli military pinpoint the exact locations of the churches. Despite Israeli officials claiming that one of the buildings identified on the coordinate list was a mosque, Catholic Relief Services asserted that this was incorrect and urged the military to follow the provided coordinates. In an effort to ensure accurate identification, the aid organization eventually hand-drew a map with the coordinates listed next to each building.

Religious and aid organizations, as well as the Biden administration, have been sharing coordinates of their facilities in Gaza with the U.N. and directly with Israel to prevent them from being targeted. However, operations conducted by Israel near or within aid sites, including hospitals, have continued to pose significant challenges.

This new information highlights the need for a more effective system of deconfliction to protect aid organizations and civilians in conflict zones, particularly considering the complexities and dangers involved.