Overview

• Four civilians died and seven were wounded when a stray munition struck Gaza’s Church of the Holy Family on July 17, injuring parish priest Gabriel Romanelli
• Israel’s prime minister’s office described the blast as an unintentional strike by lost munitions and expressed profound regret for civilian casualties
• The IDF affirmed its policy against targeting religious sites and launched a formal investigation into the circumstances of the bombardment
• The Church of the Holy Family, Gaza’s sole Catholic parish, has provided refuge to over 500 displaced Palestinians of both Christian and Muslim faiths
• Pope León XIV conveyed deep sorrow over the attack in a telegram and renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza