Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed regret after an Israeli tank attack struck the premises of Gaza’s sole Catholic church, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees Roman Catholics in Gaza, reported that the Holy Family Church was hit by Israel on Thursday morning. The church has served as a refuge for the region’s small Christian community during the 20-month conflict.
The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy.”
“Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,” the office further noted in a statement.
Pope Leo received a phone call from Netanyahu on Friday following the attack, according to the Vatican, during which the patriarch emphasized the importance of safeguarding places of worship.
In the phone call, which Netanyahu’s office has not yet commented on, Leo reiterated his calls for a ceasefire to be achieved by the conflicting parties in Gaza, a statement indicated.
Pope Leo “again 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,” according to the statement.
Netanyahu informed US President Donald Trump in a phone call that the church incident was a “mistake,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing Thursday. When asked about Trump’s perspective on the strike, Leavitt described it as “not a positive reaction.”
The Israel Defense Forces admitted that it struck the church “mistakenly.”
“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 IDF stated on Thursday.
“The cause of the incident is under review.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli