WASHINGTON, July 18. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to explain the circumstances of a shelling of Holy Family Church in the Gaza Strip, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said, citing US officials.

"A U.S. official told me that Trump was upset when he heard about the attack on the church, asked his team why Israel did it, and wanted to get Netanyahu on the phone right away," the journalist wrote on the X social network.

"On that call, Trump asked Netanyahu for clarification. When Netanyahu said it had been a mistake, Trump demanded he put out a statement to that effect, the official said. Soon thereafter, he did," the reporter added.

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reported that "fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review." Netanyahu expressed his regrets over the incident,

The attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip left three people dead and nine wounded, three of them seriously, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on its website. Casualties include the community’s parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, who sustained light injuries.