Published: Jul 18, 2025, 09:44 IST | Updated: Jul 18, 2025, 09:44 IST
Two people were killed after an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church on Thursday (Jul 17), said the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The late Pope Francis maintained regular contact with the church that was hit by the strike and daily called the parish priest, who was also injured in the attack. Regretting any harm to civilians, Israel said that it “never targets” religious sites. Following the attack, Pope Leo XIV said that he was “deeply saddened” by the strike. This comes as Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that at least 20 people were killed after Israeli strikes across the war-torn territory.