The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, said Thursday that several people were injured in “a raid” on the church, including the Parish Priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. The patriarchate later said two people were killed in the incident.
“With deep sorrow the Latin Patriarchate can now confirm that two persons were killed as a result of an apparent strike by the Israeli army that hit the Holy Family Compound this morning,” the patriarchate said in a statement. “We pray for the rest of their souls and for the end of this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians.”
Earlier on Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said “Israeli raids on Gaza” had hit the Church of the Holy Family, condemning “the attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months” as unacceptable.
“No military action can justify such behavior,” the Italian leader said on social media.
The Israel Defense Forces said it was “aware of reports regarding damage caused to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and casualties at the scene. The circumstances of the incident are under review.”
“The IDF makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them,” the military said in the statement, which it shared on social media.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty,” and said the result of the IDF’s investigation would be “published transparently.”
“Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians,” the foreign ministry said.
Earlier Thursday, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem said several people were injured in the strike, including Father Gabriel Romanelli, the Parish Priest of the church, and that “the Church sustained damage.”
OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP/Getty 
CBS News’ team in Gaza saw Romanelli being brought to the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City. He appeared to have sustained an injury to his right leg.
The Italian Catholic news agency SIR reported earlier that six people were injured at the church, two of whom it said were in critical condition.
It said the parish had been housing around 500 displaced Christians, but Fadel Naem, the acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, told The Associated Press there were both Christians and Muslims sheltering at the church, including a number of children with disabilities.
OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP/Getty 
The late Pope Francis would regularly call Romanelli to check in with him and the people staying in the church during the war in Gaza. In his final public appearance, one day before his death, Francis called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release of Israeli hostages.
