Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country “deeply regrets that a wandering ammunition” had struck the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people who are housed.
“Each lost innocent life is a tragedy. We share the sorrow of families and faithful”, “ he said in a press release.
The incident occurred Thursday when an Israeli strike struck the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City. Several people were also injured, said the Latin patriarchy of Jerusalem which oversees the small parish.
Pope Leo XIV said he was “deeply saddened to learn the loss of life of life and injury”, renewing his call to a ceasefire in Gaza.
In his statement, Netanyahu said that Israel “investigated the incident and that he remains determined to protect civilians and holy sites”.
In a statement later Thursday, Israeli Defense Forces (FDI) said: “An initial investigation into reports concerned in the injured in the Church of the Sainte-Famille de Gaza City, suggests that the fragments of a licensed shell during operational activity in the region have wrongly struck the church. The cause of the incident is being examined.
“The FDI directs its strikes only on military targets and make all the efforts feasible to alleviate the damage to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any involuntary damage caused to them,” added the press release.
Earlier in the day, the White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump had no “positive reaction” on the attack on the Church.
Trump called Netanyahu to discuss the incident on Thursday morning. During the call, Netanyahu described the attack as an “error”, Leavitt quoted it as said.
The patriarchy said that the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was one of those who had been injured during the attack.
He said that people found a “sanctuary” in the church “hoping that war horrors could at least save their lives after their house, their property and their dignity had already been withdrawn.”
He added that “war must reach a full end”.
