LONDON, GAZA and ROME — Israel said it “deeply regrets” a deadly strike on a Catholic church in Gaza that it attributed to a “stray ammunition.”
Three people were killed and 10 injured in the Israeli strike Thursday on the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in Gaza, said the parish and the Vatican.
“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,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement. “Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.”
A view of the damage to the Holy Family church in Gaza City following an Israeli strike on the church, in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on July 17, 2025.
Omar Al-qattaa/AFP via Getty Images
Of the 10 wounded, one was in critical condition and two were in serious condition, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Father Gabriel Romanelli, the local priest, sustained “light injuries,” it said.
“The people in the Holy Family Compound are people who found in the Church a sanctuary — hoping that the horrors of war might at least spare their lives, after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said. “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 Vatican issued a response from Pope Leo XIV in the wake of the strike.
“His holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza,” the Vatican press office said in a statement.
Parish priest of the Church of the Holy Family, father Gabriele Romanelli, receives medical attention, after he suffered light leg injuries following an Israeli strike on the church, according to medics, at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, in this still image taken from a video July 17, 2025.
Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
The Israel Defense Forces said in an earlier statement that 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 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.”
A view of the damage to the Holy Family church in Gaza City following an Israeli strike on the church, in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on July 17, 2025.
Omar Al-qattaa/AFP via Getty Images
The Vatican in its statement said the pope assured Romanelli “and the whole parish community of his spiritual closeness.”
“In commending the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of almighty God, the Holy Father prays for the consolation of those who grieve and for the recovery of the injured,” the Vatican said.
The statement added, “His holiness renews his call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region.”
President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to address the strike on the church, the White House said.
“It was not a positive reaction,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said of Trump’s response.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
