DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (LifeSiteNews) — Three people died after the Israeli military struck the only Catholic church in Gaza this morning, prompting swift international outrage, including from Pope Leo XIV.

Around 10:20 a.m. local time, the compound of the Holy Family Church in Gaza was hit by the Israeli army. The sole Catholic church in Gaza, which is under the care of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (LPJ), suffered structural damage.

At the time of publication, three people are confirmed to have died from injuries sustained during the attack. The LPJ wrote that 10 were injured, including Father Gabriele Romanelli, the parish priest.

Two people remain in a serious condition and one is in a critical state.

Images on social media shared by one user appear to show the church almost completely destroyed. However, the image appears to be inaccurate as it does not align with images of the damage shared by others on the ground.

Pope Leo XIV issued a telegram with notable speed, saying he was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, and he assures the parish priest Father Gabriele Romanelli and the whole parish community of his spiritual closeness.”

The Pope also reiterated his calls for an end to the war and for “an immediate cease fire.”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa – the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem – told Vatican News:

What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the Church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church.

Some reports claimed Israeli forces said the hit was a mistake, although an official Israeli response with such detail is lacking. However, the Israeli Foreign Ministry did issue a rare public comment on the incident, writing:

Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty.

The IDF is examining this incident, the circumstances of which are still unclear, and the results of the investigation will be published transparently.

Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians.

After providing initial media updates through the morning, the LPJ issued an official statement on the attack, condemning the violence and renewing the cardinal’s own regular calls for peace:

The Latin Patriarchate strongly condemns this tragedy and this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place. However, this tragedy is not greater or more terrible than the many others that have befallen Gaza. Many other innocent civilians have also been harmed, displaced and killed. Death, suffering and destruction are everywhere.

The time has come for leaders to raise their voices and to do all that is necessary in order to stop this tragedy which is humanly, and morally, unjustified.

This horrific war must come to a complete end so that we may commence the long work of restoring human dignity.

Reuters reported that 22 people in Gaza died as a result of the Israeli attack.

For some months since the outbreak of hostilities, the Catholic church in Gaza has been more than simply a church but also a refuge for many who have been displaced due to the war. Currently, approximately 600 people are believed to be based at the compound, many of whom are children, with around 50 also having disabilities.

Describing the parish’s ministry previously, Romanelli noted the presence of many religious sisters who assist him:

There are the sisters of Mother Teresa, the religious of my congregation of the Incarnate Word, the sisters of the same congregation, the Servants of the Lord and of the Virgin of Matara, and we all try to do good, to serve, we pray, we assist the elderly, the children, we also have children with special needs, and we try to make sure that they don’t suffer, because children are sponges, they realize if the adults are anxious.

Pope Francis famously called the church nearly every night in recent years, including keeping a regular correspondence with the parish while in the hospital earlier this year.

International coverage of today’s strike was swift, as evidenced by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemning the attack even before the Pope.

I raid israeliani su Gaza colpiscono anche la chiesa della Sacra Famiglia. Sono inaccettabili gli attacchi contro la popolazione civile che Israele sta portando avanti da mesi. Nessuna azione militare può giustificare un tale atteggiamento.

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) July 17, 2025

The church has seen its fair share of engagement in the current conflict, with Israeli military apparently targeting it and separately nearly hitting it with bomb strikes a number of times.

Israeli snipers were accused of murdering two women who were part of a number of refugees sheltering in the building in late 2023.

“Seven more people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others inside the church compound,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem declared. “No warning was given, no notification was provided. They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the parish, where there are no belligerents.”

The patriarchate has not taken sides in the conflict, but neither has it shied away from condemning such attacks on civilians, particularly when they have affected people sheltering in the parish in Gaza.

Pizzaballa himself has taken a similar position, advocating not for any particular party but for the implementation of peace and rebuilding of family life across the board. The cardinal has said there needs to be “new leadership with vision” in both the political and religious arenas before peace will take place, a likely indirect criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly rejected international resolutions passed at the United Nations to bring the conflict to a halt.