A probe completed Tuesday night by the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Southern Command found that the Holy Family Church, Gaza’s only Catholic church, was struck by a misfired munition during military activity in the area.
The IDF said targeting adjustments were made during the operation to improve accuracy, and that “guidelines for opening fire near religious buildings, shelters, and other sensitive sites were further clarified” to help prevent similar incidents.
The IDF did not specify the cause of the malfunction and declined to provide further details about the adjustments made following the strike.
The incident, which occurred last Thursday, killed three civilians and injured nine others, including parish priest Rev. Gabriel Romanelli.
While the IDF acknowledged that the strike “caused damage to the structure” of the church and “injured several Gazan civilians,” it did not confirm the reported fatalities.
The IDF statement also made no mention of disciplinary action against the soldiers involved, unlike in other cases where aid workers were mistakenly killed and accountability measures were implemented.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, earlier expressed doubt over Israel’s claim that the strike on the church was accidental.
“We are not a target. They say it was an error. Even if everybody here believes it wasn’t,” Pizzaballa said.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the incident, stating, “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.
