TEL AVIV, July 23. /TASS/. The Israeli army has announced the completion of its investigation into the strike on Gaza’s Holy Family Church, the only Catholic parish in the enclave, the military press service reported.
Following the inquiry, the military confirmed that the church had been damaged by an Israeli projectile but deemed the incident accidental. "The investigation revealed that during operational activities by the Israeli Defense Forces in the urban Gaza area, the church was inadvertently hit due to the unintended deviation of the projectile, which caused damage to the building and wounded several residents of Gaza," the press service concluded.
The army explained that during the operation, troops had "made adjustments to improve firing accuracy," and after the incident, the command further clarified the rules of firing near religious sites, shelters, and "other sensitive locations." "The Israel Defense Forces only strikes military targets and tries to minimize harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure, including religious institutions. The IDF regrets any harm caused to civilians," the military emphasized.
On the morning of July 17, Gaza’s Holy Family Church was hit by Israeli army fire. According to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the shelling left three people killed and nine others wounded, three of them seriously. The parish priest, Gabriel Romanelli, suffered minor injuries. The Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, earlier expressed their regret about the attack on the church.