Three dead in Israeli attack on Gaza church

An Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip struck the territory's only Catholic church on Thursday, killing three people.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said that the Holy Family Church in the centre of Gaza City had been hit, and that nine others were injured, three of whom were in critical condition.

According to the Vatican News portal, the dead were the church's 60-year-old janitor and an elderly woman. There was no immediate information about the third victim. The parish priest reportedly suffered minor injuries.

A statement from Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu's office, posted on X, said Israeli shared the grief of families and faithful.

"Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy," the statement said.

"We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the circumstances of the incident were still unclear.

"Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty," it posted on X.

"Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians," the ministry added.

The Israeli military acknowledged reports of damage to the church and casualties in the area, and said the circumstances were "under review."

The military stressed that it "makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them."

The Palestinian WAFA news agency reported that around 600 displaced people had been housed in the church.

The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem published a photo of the church showing damage to the roof.

Gaza's small Christian minority

Approximately 1,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, out of a total population of more than 2 million. There are three churches in the coastal strip, with the Church of the Holy Family being the only Catholic place of worship.

Pope Leo XIV repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire following the incident and said he was "deeply saddened" at the loss of life.

In a telegram published by the Latin Patriarchate, he called for "dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region."

Meloni: 'Unacceptable' attacks

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said "the attacks against the civilian population, which Israel has been demonstrating for months, are unacceptable."

The Israeli military consistently emphasizes that it is acting against the Palestinian militant organization Hamas and other militant groups and takes measures to spare civilians in the Gaza Strip.

At least 32 killed in other attacks, medics say

According to medical sources in the Gaza Strip, at least 32 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across the coastal strip since the morning.

The information could not initially be independently verified.