
Pope Leo XIV has renewed his call for a Gaza ceasefire after three people sheltering in the Catholic church in Gaza City were killed in an Israeli strike.
A telegram said the Pope was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack” on the Holy Family Church.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the church, said it was “struck by the Israeli army”. Nine other people were wounded, one of whom is in a critical condition in hospital. The parish priest was lightly injured.
Israel’s foreign ministry said it regretted any harm to a religious site or uninvolved civilians and the Israeli military said the incident was under review.
Many displaced families from Gaza’s small Christian community have been living in the church compound since the war began after their own homes were destroyed.
While he was alive, the late Pope Francis called them on a near-daily basis.
A video and photos shared with the BBC showed the roof of the Holy Family Church was hit, close to the cross, and that windows were broken.
TV footage showed the Argentine parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, walking unsteadily and checking on a man on a stretcher at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told the Vatican News website that the Holy Family Church was hit by a tank shell.
“What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] says by mistake, but we are not sure about this. They hit the church directly,” he said.
The charity Caritas Jerusalem said the shell hit the church roof, “scattering shrapnel and debris across the yard”.
Credit: bbc.com
The post Pope expresses sadness after Israeli strike on Gaza church kills three appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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