3 killed by strike at Gaza's only Catholic church; Israel launches probe, expresses 'deep sorrow'

Archbishop Alexios blesses the bodies of Saad Salameh and Foumia Ayyad, killed earlier in an Israeli strike that hit the Holy Family church in Gaza City, during their funeral ceremony at the Saint Porphyrius Church on July 17, 2025. An Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church killed three people on July 17, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said, as Israel said it "never targets" religious sites and regretted any harm to civilians. | OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images

The Israeli military will investigate reports that a tank strike on the sole Catholic church in Gaza killed three people and injured several others amid the war with Hamas, vowing to publish the results of the probe amid criticism from Catholic leaders.

In a statement Thursday, the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem decried the strike at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, which has sheltered hundreds of people since the war began.

Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest and confidant of the late Pope Francis, is among those who have been injured. Video shared online shows the priest sitting with his leg bandaged, while photos show damage to the church's roof, with a large chunk missing near a stone cross.

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