Faith leaders condemn Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church
Fallout continues to grow after an Israeli tank shell struck the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza on Thursday, drawing strong condemnation from international faith leaders.
The shell killed three people, wounding 10 and damaging the building.
Hundreds of Palestinians had been using the church compound for shelter and aid during the now 21-month war between Israel and Hamas. The site was providing refuge to both Christians and Muslims, including children with disabilities.
Religious leaders condemn the attack
Top Christian leaders in Jerusalem visited the church on Friday in a show of solidarity after the strike.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, led a delegation to the compound, helping to evacuate injured individuals for treatment outside of Gaza and announcing plans to provide food and medical aid to those in need.
The leaders “express(ed) the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza,” according to a press release from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Pope Leo XIV spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone and “reiterated the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel,” according to the Holy See Press Office.
The late Pope Francis had a special connection to the church, having spoken frequently with its members over the phone throughout the war and in the months leading up to his death in April.
Israel, Netanyahu apologize
The attack was described as an accident by Israeli officials.
“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,” Netanyahu said in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The incident is currently under review by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Pressure to reach a ceasefire deal continues to mount amid the ongoing conflict that has resulted in nearly 60,000 Palestinian deaths following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel that killed nearly 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the abduction of more than 200 hostages.
President Trump also expressed his dismay with the attack in a phone call with Netanyahu.
The Associated Press contributed to this report