Netanyahu’s office expresses deep regret over shelling of last Catholic Church in Gaza
Three people were killed in Thursday's incident, while a friend of the former pope was injured
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said it “deeply regrets” a deadly strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza which killed three people including the parish priest.
“Stray ammunition” from an Israeli tank is said to have hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza City on Thursday, which was used to shelter Christians and Muslims from attacks.
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.
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.
A statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu’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.”
“Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.”
His office also said it is “grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort” after the Catholic leader said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem added: “On behalf of the entire Church of the Holy Land, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and from here, we offer our prayers for the swift and full recovery of the wounded.
“The Latin Patriarchate strongly condemns this tragedy and this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place.
“However, this tragedy is not greater or more terrible than the many others that have befallen Gaza.”
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said its “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,” the statement added.
“The IDF makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them.”
Shadi Abu Dawoud, a 47-year-old Palestinian Christian, said the church’s main hall was housing dozens of displaced citizens, mainly children and elderly people, and that all were “peaceful civilians”.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing that Trump phoned Netanyahu after first learning about the strike 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.”
Of Gaza’s population of more than two million, about 1,000 are Christians.
According to the Latin Patriarchate, there are about 135 Catholics in the territory.
Members of the Catholic community have been sheltering at the Holy Family Church compound since October 2023/
Meanwhile, there is mounting concern and anger over attacks by expremist settlers in the West Bank on the last Christian majority town of Taybeh.
In a Westminister Hall debate on Thursday, the veteran Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh said “extremist settlers are acting with impunity and not being reined in or called in by Israeli authorities” over serious attack on Taybeh.
“These extremist settlers have attacked homes, started fires and even created a billboard outside Taybeh that, translated into English, said, ‘There is no future for you here,” said Leigh.
“These are people who are only trying to live in peace.
“They have lived there for 2,000 years, yet they are told, ‘There is no future for you here’.
“It is absolutely outrageous and the whole world should be calling it out.”
Responding for the government Foreign Office minister Catherine West said:”Earlier this week, our consul general visited Taybeh with church leaders and international partners to express solidarity with the local community following those awful attacks, which were so eloquently described by the Father of the House.
“We also reiterate our calls for the status quo arrangement at Jerusalem’s holy sites to be upheld, to ensure the safety and the security of Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount and all who worship there.”
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