Pope Leo XIV said he was “deeply saddened,” while Italy’s foreign minister called the strike “a serious act against a Christian place of worship.”
An Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church killed two people Thursday, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, drawing sharp international condemnation.
“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,” it said.
The church, sheltering over 600 displaced people—mostly children—was heavily damaged. Gaza civil defence reported “two citizens from the Christian community” were killed, with parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli among the injured.
Pope Leo XIV said he was “deeply saddened,” while Italy’s foreign minister called the strike “a serious act against a Christian place of worship.”
Israel expressed “deep sorrow,” saying it “never targets churches or religious sites.”
Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch called the attack “totally unacceptable,” adding, “There were no jihadists in this church. There were families, there were civilians.”