The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said it ‘deeply regrets’ the IDF strikes conducted on the only church in Gaza.
The strikes reportedly left three people dead.
In its statement, the PMO’s office said: “Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church.”
“Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful,” the statement said.
Reacting to the attack, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, told Vatican News: “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, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church.”
“We always try to reach Gaza in all possible ways, directly and indirectly. Now it’s too early to talk about all this; we need to understand what happened, what should be done, especially to protect our people, and of course, try to make sure that these things don’t happen anymore. Then we will see how to continue, but certainly we will never leave them alone,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV renews call for ceasefire
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV has renewed his call for a ceasefire following the attack on the church in the war-torn region.
In a telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State on his behalf, the Pope expressed deep sorrow for the loss of life and for the injuries caused by the attack, reported Vatican News.
Reacting to Pope’s comments on the incident, the Israel PM’s Office said: “We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.”
According to reports, several displaced families belonging to Gaza’s Christian community have been staying in the church compound.
IDF admits the church was hit
The Israel Defense Forces has admitted hitting the church and said the cause is currently under review.
“An initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review,” IDF posted on X.
“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 said.
The church is known for its closeness to late Pope Francis, who used to call the parish almost regularly as the war reaged on.
Gaza, a Muslim majority region, is believed to be the house of 1,000 Christians before the war began in 2023 following Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Guterres reacts to attack on church
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the Israeli strike on Thursday that hit the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip.
Three people were killed and at least 10 others were injured in the bombing of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, according to media reports.
Stephanie Tremblay, a spokesperson for the Secretary-General, noted that the church was both a place of worship and a sanctuary for civilians.
“Attacks on places of worship are unacceptable. People seeking shelter must be respected and protected, not hit by strikes,” she said during the daily media briefing from New York.
“Too many lives have already been lost,” she added, before stressing the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Strikes continue amid widespread displacement
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours have hit sites hosting displaced Palestinians, some of whom were injured and killed.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 11,500 people in Gaza were newly displaced between 8-15 July.
Overall, more than 737,000 people have been uprooted since the latest escalation of hostilities on 18 March, or roughly 35 percent of the population.
Furthermore, nearly everyone in Gaza has been displaced, in many cases multiple times, since the war began in October 2023.
Tremblay reminded journalists that most housing in Gaza is flattened or otherwise unhabitable and families are staying in the open because the UN has not been allowed to bring in tents and other shelter materials since early March.
