Netanyahu Tells Trump Gaza Church Strike Was A 'Mistake'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US President Donald Trump that the deadly strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church was a tragic error, according to the White House. The incident, which killed three people and injured ten others, has drawn sharp international criticism and renewed calls for accountability from the Israeli leadership.
Strike Hits Holy Family Church
The strike, which hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza City on Thursday morning, was reportedly caused by fragments from an Israeli tank shell. The church, a long-standing sanctuary for Gaza’s small Catholic community, was sheltering hundreds of displaced civilians—many of them children and individuals with special needs.
Witnesses and church officials said the shell struck the compound around 10:30 a.m. local time. Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, was among those wounded. Heart-wrenching images from the aftermath showed injured civilians receiving treatment at Al-Ahli Hospital and mourners gathered beside the bodies of victims, wrapped in white shrouds on the church floor.
Netanyahu Acknowledges Mistake, Pledges Investigation
In a statement issued after speaking with Trump, Netanyahu acknowledged the mistake, saying, “Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy.” He pledged that a full investigation into the incident would be carried out.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees Catholic communities across the region, condemned the attack in the strongest terms. “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,” the statement read. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, told Vatican News that while the Israeli military called the strike accidental, “we are not sure about this.”
Trump’s Reaction ‘Not Positive,’ Says White House
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump personally called Netanyahu following the incident. “It was not a positive reaction. He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strike on that church in Gaza,” she said during a press briefing. “The prime minister agreed to put out a statement. It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church—that’s what he relayed to the president.”
U.S. Demands Full Accountability
A separate statement from the State Department echoed the White House’s concern. A spokesperson said, “I think it’s an understatement to say that he [Trump] was not happy.” Washington has called on Israel to conduct a thorough investigation into the strike.
The Israeli military said it is currently examining the incident and reiterated that it takes extensive measures to avoid civilian casualties and damage to religious sites. The foreign ministry has promised to make the findings of its probe public.
Thursday’s attack on the church was part of a broader escalation that saw at least 27 people killed across the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources and church officials. The civil defense agency in Gaza confirmed that 22 others were killed in separate strikes throughout the territory on the same day.
Holy Family Church, where the strike occurred, had been serving as a refuge for about 600 people—offering shelter in the midst of intensifying hostilities. Among them were 54 individuals with special needs, all of whom had sought safety within the church walls as war closed in around them.
Pope Condemn the Attack
The global outcry was swift. Leaders from France, Italy, and other nations denounced the attack, calling it “unacceptable.” Pope Leo XIV, visibly shaken by the news, said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths at Holy Family. His predecessor, the late Pope Francis, had maintained close contact with the church during the ongoing conflict.
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