Pope Leo XIV called for a ceasefire in Gaza on Thursday after the sole Catholic church in the region was struck, saying, “Only dialogue and reconciliation can ensure enduring peace.”
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said the Holy Family Church was hit by Israeli forces “by mistake” Thursday morning, resulting in several people injured and three people dying from sustained injuries. The pope addressed the strike on X, saying he was “saddened” by the military strike on the church.
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“I assure the parish community of my spiritual closeness. I commend the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, and pray for their families and the injured,” Leo said on X.
“I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire. Only dialogue and reconciliation can ensure enduring peace!” Leo said.
Pizzaballa said a tank had hit the church “directly,” and that “we are not sure” about the Israeli Defense Force’s claim the strike was accidental. He added he does not have complete information on this strike since “the communication in Gaza is not that simple.”
“Now it’s too early to talk about all this; we need to understand what happened, what should be done, especially to protect our people, and of course, try to make sure that these things don’t happen anymore. Then we will see how to continue, but certainly we will never leave them alone,” Pizzaballa said.
The IDF acknowledged the strike on X, saying it takes “every feasible effort” to avoid harming civilians or local structures, and regrets “any damage caused to them.”
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On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump did not have a “positive reaction” to the strike on the church, and contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over this. Netanyahu reiterated “it was a mistake” to strike the church, and agreed to put out a statement on this.
"In Gaza today, a Catholic Church was struck by an Israeli shell. What is the president's reaction?"
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) July 17, 2025
Press Sec: "It was not a positive reaction. He called PM Netanyahu this morning to address it. It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church." pic.twitter.com/i6g66g2ndT
Last month, Pope Leo said, “humanity cries out and calls for peace” after the United States struck three of Iran’s nuclear sites. In a separate statement, the pope said “war does not solve problems,” and instead “amplifies them.”