The conflict

Gaza, Catholic church hit: at least 3 dead. Father Romanelli wounded. Pope: 'Cry of victims will not go unheard'. Bibi to Trump: "It was a mistake".

Israeli raids hit Catholic church in Gaza, parish priest wounded. Meloni and Tajani condemn attacks, Pope informed

17 July 2025

Un palestinese ferito nell’l’attacco israeliano alla Chiesa cattolica della Sacra Famiglia REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

5' min read

The Church of the Holy Family in Gaza was hit by a raid. Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest who often heard Pope Francis on the phone to tell him about the war, was slightly injured in the leg. The church of the Holy Family is the only Catholic church in the Palestinian enclave.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirms that the attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza has claimed at least three victims. Jerusalem Patriarchate sources confirm to ANSA that one of the wounded has died, bringing the number of victims to three. In total, therefore, there are at least three dead and 1 injured, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli.

Netanyahu office: "Deep regret for blow against church"

"Israel deeply regrets that a stray bullet hit the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful." This was stated by the Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a note published in X. The Israeli government also thanked "Pope Leo for his words of comfort". The note concluded by stressing the Israeli authorities' commitment to shedding light on the incident: "Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy places!

At least 94 Palestinians killed in the last 24 hours

At least 94 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli raids in the last 24 hours, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Of these, 26 died while trying to get humanitarian aid. At least 367 wounded Palestinians have arrived in Gaza hospitals in the last 24 hours. Since the controversial Ghf food distribution programme, supported by the US and Israel, was launched in May, at least 877 Palestinians seeking aid have been killed and 5,666 injured. The death toll of Palestinians since the beginning of the war rises to 58,667. A further 139,94 have been injured. Dozens of people have died in various areas of the Strip today alone. In addition to the three victims in the attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, there were four victims in an attack on the Bureij refugee camp in the central part of the Strip, and three in an attack on a residential building in Gaza City.

Pope Leo: no cry of violence victims will go unheard

"No cry of the innocent victims of violence, no lament of the bereaved mothers for their children will go unheard". This was said by Pope Leo as he received at Castel Gandolfo the participants of an ecumenical pilgrimage from the United States of America. The pontiff called the pilgrimage of the US pilgrims, which will end in Constantinople, "one of the abundant fruits of the ecumenical movement aimed at re-establishing full unity among all of Christ's disciples".

Meloni: 'Israeli raids on church unacceptable'

Giorgia Meloni said: 'The Israeli raids on Gaza also hit the Church of the Holy Family. The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been demonstrating for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude'.

"The Israeli army's attacks against the civilian population in Gaza are no longer acceptable. In this morning's raid, the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza was also hit, a serious act against a Christian place of worship. All my sympathy to Father Romanelli, who was wounded in the raid. It is time to stop and find peace'. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote this on X.

Pope Leo XIV was informed this morning, on the sidelines of an audience at Castel Gandolfo, to a group of pilgrims, of the Israeli raids on the Holy Family Church in Gaza. "His Holiness Pope Leo XIV is deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injuries caused by the military attack on the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza and assures the parish priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli and the entire parish community of his spiritual closeness, entrusting the souls of the deceased to God's loving mercy". Thus the Pope in a telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State. "The Pope renews his appeal for an immediate ceasefire and expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and lasting peace in the region."

"We learn with dismay of the unacceptable attack on the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza. We express our closeness to the community of the stricken parish, with a special thought for those suffering and injured, including Father Gabriel Romanelli. In firmly condemning the violence that continues to sow destruction and death among the population of the Strip, harshly tried by months of war, we appeal to the parties involved and to the international community to put down their weapons and start negotiations, the only possible way to achieve peace". Thus in a note the Italian Bishops' Conference.

"We always try to reach Gaza in all possible ways, directly and indirectly. Now it is too early to talk about all this, we need to understand what has happened, what must be done, especially to protect our people, of course try to verify that these things no longer happen and then we will see how to continue, but we will certainly never leave them alone". These are the first words to RainNews24 from the Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, released to Vatican media after this morning's raid on Gaza that hit the Holy Family Catholic Church.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza, three parishioners of the Holy Family have been killed and the Christian community has been greatly reduced. After 7 October, the community has halved: "We are about 500," Father Gabriel Romanelli told the Vatican media a few days ago, "camped in every corner of the Holy Family parish. Before 7 October, the number of Christians in Gaza was 1017, about 300 managed to get out of the Strip when the Rafah crossing with Egypt was still open, 54 died, 16 were killed in the bombing that hit the Orthodox Patriarchate's St. Porphyry church'.

White House, Trump called Bibi for bombed church

"Donald Trump's reaction to Israel's bombings in Gaza and on the church in Gaza was not positive. He called Netanyahu to address these attacks," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in briefing reporters.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, that in talks between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu to address the bombings that also hit a Catholic church in Gaza, the Israeli premier agreed to make a statement on the incident, explaining that it would be a 'mistake'.