In an official statement, Netanyahu said the church was hit by stray ammunition and expressed sorrow over the incident. “Every innocent life lost is a tragedy,” the statement read. He emphasized that Israel is investigating the event and remains committed to protecting civilians and religious sites.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt
Earlier Thursday, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt confirmed that Trump called Netanyahu to discuss the strike. Leavitt said Trump’s reaction was “not a positive reaction,” and that Netanyahu agreed to issue a statement acknowledging the strike was a mistake.
The IDF said in a statement later in the evening: "An 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 IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them".
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the church, confirmed that several people were injured, including Romanelli. The church’s community priest, Father Gabriela Romanelli, who had regularly informed Pope Leo about the war’s developments, was lightly wounded in the leg, officials said.
The attack drew swift international condemnation. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the strike “unacceptable.” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned the bombing of the church, which is protected under France’s historic guardianship, expressing solidarity with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and calling the attacks “intolerable.”
