3 killed, 9 injured as Israeli strike hits Catholic church; Trump demands clarification
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bowed to pressure from US President Donald Trump and issued an official English-language statement on Friday expressing “deep regret” over the Israeli bombing of the Holy Family Church in Gaza a day earlier.
The statement followed a phone call between Trump and Netanyahu on Thursday evening, during which Trump conveyed his “dissatisfaction” with the attack and urged Netanyahu to clarify that it was an Israeli error.
The White House confirmed that Trump demanded a formal explanation from Israel.
On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike struck the Holy Family Church complex in eastern Gaza, killing three people and injuring nine others, including parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed the casualties and condemned the attack in a public statement.
In his response, Netanyahu claimed, “Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church.”
He added that Israel was “investigating the incident” and alleged that Tel Aviv “remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.”
The Israeli military said a preliminary probe suggested that shrapnel from a projectile fired during operations in the area had struck the church. It noted that “the source of the incident is under review and remains subject to further investigation.”
On Friday, a high-level Christian delegation entered the Gaza Strip, led by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Patriarch Theophilos III of the Greek Orthodox Church.
The delegation visited the church to offer condolences, express solidarity, and call for “an immediate, comprehensive, and lasting ceasefire,” according to a statement from the Latin Patriarchate.
The Holy Family Church is the third major Christian site to be struck by Israeli forces since the beginning of the war. Previous attacks hit Saint Porphyrius Church and the Baptist Church in Gaza.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 59,000 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
