Pope Leo XIV expressed sadness and called for a ceasefire after Gaza’s only Catholic church was hit in an apparent Israeli strike, leaving at least two dead and several injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said in a statement that “stray ammunition” hit the church.

“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV 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,” read a telegram sent by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on behalf of the pope.

Parolin added that the pope “renews his call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region.”

A view of the damage to the Holy Family church in Gaza City following an Israeli strike on the church in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on July 17, 2025. (OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oren Marmorstein echoed a similar message, saying that the country “expresses deep sorrow” over the damage to the church and the loss of life. He added that “Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site and uninvolved civilians.”

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on Thursday that the community’s parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, “sustained light injuries” in the incident. 

A woman looks on as mourners attend the funeral of Palestinian Christians who were killed in an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church, according to medics, at the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, in Gaza City, July 17, 2025.  (REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)

“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, after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away. On behalf of the entire Church of the Holy Land, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and from here, we offer our prayers for the swift and full recovery of the wounded,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. 

The Latin Patriarchate added that it “strongly condemns” the incident “and this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place.”