Israel has expressed deep regret following a deadly strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, the Holy Family Church, which killed three civilians and wounded several others on Thursday. The church, a historic refuge for Gaza’s Christian minority, was hit by Israeli tank fire amid ongoing military operations, according to church leaders and Israeli officials.
In a statement, the office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “stray ammunition” had struck the compound and described the deaths as a “tragedy.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admitted that the church was “mistakenly” hit and announced an internal review was underway.
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“An initial inquiry… suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly,” the IDF said.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees Roman Catholics in Gaza, confirmed the church was directly targeted and damaged, contradicting the IDF’s implication of collateral damage. “The church was hit directly by a tank,” said cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who personally travelled to the besieged enclave on Thursday alongside Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, in a rare and symbolic show of solidarity.
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The three civilians killed were identified as Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, and Najwa Abu Dawood. The church’s long-serving parish priest, father Gabriel Romanelli, an Argentine national who has ministered in Gaza for nearly 30 years, was among the injured.
Pope Leo condemns attack, renews plea for ceasefire
Vatican officials confirmed that Pope Leo XIV spoke with Netanyahu in a phone call on Friday, during which the pontiff underscored the sanctity of religious sites and once again appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“Pope Leo expressed his concern for the dramatic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose heartbreaking price is paid especially by children, the elderly and the sick,” the Vatican said.
Netanyahu’s office has yet to comment on the conversation.
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The strike is the second known attack on the Holy Family Church since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October. In December 2023, two women sheltering inside the church were shot dead by an Israeli sniper, according to the patriarchate. The church, which has historically served Gaza’s dwindling Christian population — now estimated at fewer than 1,000 — has also been a direct line of contact for Pope Francis, who reportedly called the parish almost daily during the early weeks of the conflict.
U.S. response and diplomatic pressure
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Netanyahu also discussed the church strike with United States president Donald Trump, describing the Israeli leader’s explanation as that of a “mistake.” Trump’s own reaction, she said, “was not positive.”
The mounting diplomatic pressure comes amid renewed ceasefire negotiations aimed at halting the war that, according to Palestinian health officials, has killed over 58,000 people in Gaza since October 7.
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Talks — facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States — have reportedly gained momentum in recent weeks, though no breakthrough has been achieved. However, sources familiar with the discussions say Israel may now show flexibility over a key sticking point: the Morag Corridor.
While hopes remain for a pause in the fighting, Thursday’s deadly shelling of a church has underscored the war’s growing toll on civilians, and particularly on religious minorities.
In Gaza’s wreckage, even the sacred is no longer spared.
