Two of the most senior Christian leaders in Jerusalem visited Gaza on Friday, a day after an Israeli strike on the territory’s only Catholic church killed three people and wounded 10, including the resident priest.
The attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City drew widespread condemnation, including from Pope Leo XIV and US President Donald Trump. Israel has acknowledged the strike was the result of a misfire and expressed regret.
Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III crossed into the heavily restricted territory in a rare visit, both to express solidarity with Gaza’s Christian community and to oversee humanitarian efforts. They visited the damaged church compound and the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, where they met wounded civilians and hospital staff.
The delegation also announced the organisation of convoys delivering hundreds of tons of food, medicine and other essential supplies, as well as support for the evacuation of those injured in the church strike.
In a statement issued by the churches, the visit was described as an expression of the “shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land”, highlighting the continued presence and concern of Christian leadership for the region’s embattled population.
Access to Gaza has been severely limited since the outbreak of war, with religious leaders previously permitted entry only on major religious occasions.
Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the attack. According to the Vatican, the pope repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to end the 21-month conflict. He expressed particular concern for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where children, the elderly and the sick have borne the brunt of the devastation. Netanyahu’s office confirmed the call and did not dispute the Vatican’s account.
In earlier remarks, the pope described the strike on the church as “unjustifiable” and reiterated the Vatican’s intention to do everything possible to bring an end to what he called “the useless slaughter of innocent people”. He also received an update on Father Gabriel Romanelli, the local priest who was lightly wounded in the attack. Romanelli had developed a close friendship with the late Pope Francis, who died earlier this year, and had regularly updated him on the challenges faced by civilians in Gaza.
Israel’s military has said it is continuing to investigate the strike and maintains that its operations are focused on dismantling Hamas infrastructure. It claims it takes steps to reduce civilian harm, though widespread destruction and loss of life have continued throughout the territory. The military has often blamed Hamas for embedding its fighters in civilian areas – a charge Palestinian officials and human rights groups dispute.
Overnight and into Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities. Among them were four members of the same family killed in Khan Younis. Rescue workers continued to search through rubble for the remains of others. “They are still under the rubble,” said Belal Abu Sahloul, a relative of those killed. “Until now we are unable to get them out, even in small pieces.”
At Nasser Hospital, a woman was seen clutching the hand of her daughter, who had been killed in another airstrike and placed in a body bag. Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration but staffed by medical professionals, reported that nearly 18,000 children have been killed since the start of the conflict. The ministry estimates over 58,600 Palestinians have died, with women and children making up more than half of the total. The United Nations and other international bodies regard the ministry’s figures as the most reliable source of war casualties.
Elsewhere in the Strip, three people were reportedly shot and killed while trying to reach an aid site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-based organisation supported by Israel.
A spokesperson for the foundation said there was no violence at the site and that the crowd had remained “docile”. Since the group began its operations in May, numerous civilians have been killed while attempting to access aid, often by Israeli forces patrolling military-controlled zones. The Israeli military did not comment on the latest incident but has previously said that troops fire only warning shots to maintain order.
The war, now nearing its second year, began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in Israel and abducted 251 on 7 October 2023. Most hostages have since been released in negotiated agreements, but around 50 remain in captivity, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive.
In response, Israel launched an extensive military campaign across Gaza, which has reduced much of the territory to ruins and caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Friday’s visit by senior church leaders marked a rare moment of direct engagement with Gaza’s Christian population. According to a joint statement, the visit was intended to express the “shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land” and to deliver support to a community deeply affected by the ongoing war.
