Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized for the Israeli Defense Force’s strike on Gaza’s only church. Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized for the Israeli Defense Force’s bombing of Gaza’s only Catholic church Thursday morning.
The strike killed three civilians.
“Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. He added the incident was being investigated.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump called Netanyahu to discuss the attack. Netanyahu told Trump it was a mistake.
Netanyahu also expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for his “words of comfort.”
The pope said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack” and reiterated calls for a ceasefire.
The church’s priest, the Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, was injured. Pope Francis had called Romanelli nearly every day throughout the war.
Doctors at al-Ahli hospital said two women were killed, The Times of Israel reported. The third person, who died later, was male. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem named the dead as Najwa Abu Daoud, Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh and Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said he doubted the strike was an accident.
“What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this. They hit the church directly,” he told Vatican media.
The IDF said it did a preliminary investigation after reports of damage and casualties at the church, the Times of Israel reported.
“It emerged that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly,” the IDF said.
“The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.”
