The Israeli military said shrapnel from a tank shell fired during operations in Gaza City on Thursday struck the Holy Family Catholic Church, resulting in three deaths and several injuries.
The casualties include Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, 60, the church janitor; Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, 84; and Najwa Abu Daoud. Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, was one of the people injured in the attack.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the church was struck “mistakenly,” adding that the incident is now under further review.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the incident, saying, “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,” he added.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed doubt over Israel’s claim that the church was struck by mistake.
“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,” he told Vatican News.
Cardinal Pizzaballa: “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”
Images of the only Catholic Church in Gaza before and after today’s attack. pic.twitter.com/JZb18QDZWA
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) July 17, 2025
The Latin Patriarchate, which oversees Catholic churches in Israel, the Palestinian territories including Gaza and the West Bank and other countries, condemned the incident, calling it “the targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place.”
It noted the broader suffering in Gaza, stating: “death, suffering, and destruction are everywhere. This horrific war must come to a complete end.”
Pope Leo XIV issued a renewed call for a ceasefire following the strike. In a statement from the Vatican, he expressed sorrow over the deaths and urged “dialogue, reconciliation, and enduring peace.”
