“The IDF does not target religious institutions and takes many precautions to avoid harm to civilians or holy sites. We remain committed to safeguarding the freedom of religion for people of all faiths,” Shoshani wrote on X/Twitter in English.
The IDF commented later, after an internal investigation:
An initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review.
The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.
In the U.S., White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the incident in her daily press briefing, and said that President Donald Trump had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about it. She said that the president’s response to the incident was “not a positive reaction” and she added that it had been a “mistake” for Israel to “hit that Catholic church,” again implying some kind of deliberate act.
Netanyahu later issued a press statement:
Israel deeply regrets that stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful.
We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.
Israel is currently advancing on Hamas positions in several neighborhoods that have largely been spared the worst of the fighting in densely-populated Gaza City. The remaining 50 Israeli hostages — including 20 living ones — are believed to be held there, which is why the IDF has proceeded slowly.
Hamas hides among the civilian population, meaning that incidents such as Thursday’s can occur during combat operations.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of Trump 2.0: The Most Dramatic ‘First 100 Days’ in Presidential History, available for Amazon Kindle. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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