Trump Presses Netanyahu After Israeli Strike on Catholic Church in Gaza Kills Three

by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday following a deadly Israeli military strike that hit Gaza’s only Roman Catholic church, killing three civilians and wounding several others.

The White House confirmed the call and said President Trump urged Netanyahu to issue a public statement clarifying that the strike was accidental. According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, “It was not a positive reaction” from the president, who expressed deep concern over the civilian casualties and the damage to a religious site.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released a statement shortly afterward, not directly attributed to Netanyahu, expressing “deep regret” and calling the incident a “tragic mistake.” The statement added, “Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful.”

The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) said it had launched a preliminary investigation and concluded that “fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly.” The shell reportedly struck the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City amid intense fighting. The IDF emphasized that the strike was unintended, reaffirming its policy of not targeting religious sites or uninvolved civilians.

IDF International Spokesperson Lt.-Col. Nadav Shoshani reiterated this in both English and Italian on social media, writing, “The IDF does not target religious institutions and takes many precautions to avoid harm to civilians or holy sites… even in times of intense and active hostilities.”

Despite Israeli efforts to explain the incident, international criticism quickly followed.

Pope Leo XIV responded through a telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, stating he was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack.” The Pope also extended his spiritual support to the parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, who was lightly injured in the strike. While the Vatican did not explicitly condemn the Israeli action, it renewed its plea for a ceasefire and urged for dialogue and reconciliation.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the church, issued a strong rebuke: “Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians,” and called for an end to what it described as a “barbaric war.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni went further, directly blaming Israel: “The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude.”

The church strike marks one of the most diplomatically sensitive incidents of the ongoing Gaza conflict. It has sparked outrage from religious leaders and governments across the world, raising questions about the effectiveness of Israeli safeguards for civilian and religious sites in warzones.

Despite Netanyahu’s lack of a personal statement thus far, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and military continue to maintain the position that the church was struck unintentionally during operations targeting Hamas in Gaza. The PMO also thanked Pope Leo for his “words of comfort” and affirmed that “Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.”

This latest civilian tragedy further intensifies international scrutiny of Israel’s military operations, even as it battles to eliminate Hamas terrorists embedded in densely populated areas.

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