Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached out to Pope Leo XIV following the strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza by the Israeli army on July 17.
The Vatican confirmed that Netanyahu initiated the call with the Pope on Friday, the day after the attack, with the Holy Father currently staying at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.
The Israeli army’s strike on Holy Family Parish, the only Catholic church in Gaza, tragically killed three people and left several others seriously injured.
The church had been serving as a shelter for over 600 displaced individuals since the onset of the war in October 2023. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the projectile that struck the church was fired as part of a military operation and mistakenly hit the building, though investigations into the incident are ongoing.
“During the conversation, the Holy Father renewed his appeal to revive negotiations and reach a ceasefire and the end of the war,” the Vatican said in a statement.
He added that the toll of the conflict is seriously affecting vulnerable groups, especially children, the elderly, and the sick.
The Pope also emphasized the need to protect places of worship and the safety of all individuals, whether in Gaza, Israel, or beyond.
In a separate conversation later that day, Pope Leo XIV also reached out to Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The Pope condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling for an immediate halt to the violence.
