IDF says strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church was result of munition misfire

The Israeli army said that its forces “accidentally” “struck” the only Catholic church in Gaza last week, following an investigation into the strike that killed three people and injured nine others, including a priest who was a close friend of the late Francis.

The deadly strike on July 17 attracted international conviction, including the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV calling at the end of the “war barbarism”.

President Donald Trump also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the mortar strike, With his administration calling for an investigation.

“Everyone is dismayed,” the White House spokesman Tammy Bruce said at the time.

Netanyahu’s office later expressed his regret in the strike, While the Israeli army said it would investigate.

On Wednesday, he announced that the Southern Command had finished his investigation the day before, determining that the troops had struck the church “due to an involuntary deviation of the ammunition”, in accordance with his preliminary declaration according to which the strike was accidental.

Israeli defense forces have recognized that the impact of the strike “caused damage to the structure” of the church and “injured several Gazan civilians”. He did not recognize that three people were killed in the incident, according to church officials. Invited to comment on why deaths were not mentioned, the FDI admitted that it was aware of the deaths.

In an interview with the Italian newspaper of Corriere Della will be shortly after the strike, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed doubts about the initial statements of Israel who qualified the incident an error.

“We are not a target. They say it was a mistake. Even if everyone here believes that it was not the case,” said Pizzaballa.

Francis had made almost northern calls to the Church of the Sainte-Famille throughout the war in Gaza and until the days before his death in April, speaking with the parish priest, the Reverend Gabriel Romanelli, who was injured during the attack last week.

The FDI said that adjustments had been made to “improve the precision of fire” during the operation during which the Church was struck – and that following the incident, “the directives to open shots near religious buildings, shelters and other sensitive sites have been clarified.” Asked more information on the adjustments provided and how the directives were clarified, a TSAhal spokesperson would not be drawn up beyond the initial declaration.

Throughout the war in Gaza, civilians have often been killed in strikes with an impact on buildings and civil shelters, including religious sites.

Last week’s incident was also not the first time that the Church of the Sainte-Famille has been attacked. The Latin patriarchy of Jerusalem accused the Israeli forces of fatally pulling a woman and his daughter as they entered his field in December 2023.

Francis condemned the attack at the time. Israeli officials have denied responsibility.

The FDI sought to emphasize Wednesday that it had facilitated the transfer of aid to the Church of the Sainte-Famille, in addition to coordinating the visit of a delegation on behalf of the Greek and Latin patriarchs, accompanied by a group of Christian clergy. Pizzaballa was one of those who make the rare and dangerous trip, Israel having sealed the enclave to visit foreign officials.

The completion by the FDI of his probe and the release of his conclusions were clearly rapid, the soldiers still to release the results of an increasing number of investigations since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel launched its assault following the attacks of October 7, 2023 led by Hamas during which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 hostages, marking a major escalation in a conflict of decades.

Since then, more than 59,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including thousands of children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the enclave, while a large part of the territory has been destroyed.