Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement late Thursday expressing its ‘regret’ after a bomb launched by the terrorist IDF killed three civilians in Gaza’s only Catholic church, heeding a demand from US President Donald Trump, who angrily phoned the Israeli premier over the incident.
‘Israel deeply regrets that a stray bomb hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church,’ the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The statement, which was not explicitly issued in Netanyahu’s name, also expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for his ‘words of comfort.’ The pope had issued a statement expressing his sadness over the loss of life in the Gaza City strike and reiterating his hope for a ceasefire, while avoiding a direct condemnation of Israel.
‘Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,’ the PMO said.
Less than an hour earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing that Trump phoned Netanyahu after first learning about the incident on Thursday morning.
Asked what Trump’s reaction had been to the latest civilian casualty incident in Gaza, Leavitt responded, ‘It was not a positive reaction.’
Leavitt said Netanyahu agreed during the call with Trump to issue a statement.
Shortly after Netanyahu’s statement, the Israeli military said that a tank shell fired during operations in Gaza City hit the church.
The IDF said it carried out a preliminary investigation following reports of damage and casualties at the church.
‘It emerged that a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly,’ the IDF said, adding that the cause of the incident is under review.
‘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,’ it added.
Pictures from the scene showed that a large chunk of the building had been hit next to the large stone cross that adorned the house of worship. Windows were also damaged.
The Foreign Ministry commented on the incident earlier in the day, saying that Israel ‘expresses deep sorrow over the damage [to the church] and any civilian casualties’ and that the country ‘never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or uninvolved civilians.’
Doctors at al-Ahli hospital said two women were killed. The third fatality, 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.
Among the injured in the strike was Parish Priest Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, a confidant of the late Pope Francis, who would speak to him nightly throughout the war in Gaza.
The church was sheltering both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the wounded.
Out of the Gaza Strip’s population of more than two million, about 1,000 are Christians. Most of them are Orthodox, but according to the Latin Patriarchate, there are about 135 Catholics in the territory.
Since the early days of the war, which erupted in October 2023, members of the Catholic community have been sheltering at the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City, and some Orthodox Christians have also found refuge there.
More than 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza’s population, displacing most residents at least once and triggering severe shortages of food and other essentials.
The Gaza health ministry says more than 58,000 people in the Strip have been murdered or are presumed slaughtered in the fighting so far.