Pope Leo XIV has strongly condemned an Israeli attack on Gaza's only Catholic church, which killed three people on Thursday. During his Sunday Angelus prayer, the Pope expressed his deep sorrow and appealed for an end to the "barbarity of war," AL Jazeera reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had admitted that Tel Aviv had made a "mistake" by striking the sole Catholic Church in Gaza during a call with US President Donald Trump, the White House stated.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that early findings showed fragments from a shell fired during military operations in the area may have hit the church by mistake.
The victims, a mother and daughter, were en route to the Sister's Convent when gunfire erupted, with one losing her life while attempting to carry the other to safety.