Pope 'deeply saddened' by deaths at sole Catholic church in Gaza after Israeli strike
A further nine people were wounded when the Gaza's Holy Family Church was hit, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.
"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 statement reads.
"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."
Parish priest Father Gabriele Romanelli, an Argentinian who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the conflict in Gaza, was lightly injured in the attack.
In a telegram for the victims, Pope Leo said he was "deeply saddened" and called for "an immediate ceasefire".
The Pope expressed his "profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region," according to the telegram, which was signed by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, told the Vatican News website that the church was shelled by a tank.
"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", he said
The church was sheltering both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the wounded.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it was "aware of reports regarding damage caused to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and casualties at the scene. The circumstances of the incident are under review".
"The IDF makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites,
and regrets any damage caused to them," the statement added.
Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement on X that the results of the investigation would be published.
It also said the country did not target churches or religious sites and regretted harm to them or civilians.
The previous pope, Francis, spoke almost daily with Gaza church. In the last 18 months of his life, Francis would often call the church in the Gaza Strip to see how people huddled inside were coping with a devastating war.
At least 20 more people were killed on Thursday by Israeli attacks across the besieged enclave, medics said.
Throughout the 21-month war, more than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military campaign, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.
Israel launched a retaliatory campaign against Hamas following the militant group's 7 October 2023 attacks, during which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.
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