Netanyahu Tells Trump Gaza Church Strike Was a “Mistake,” Expresses Regret
Israeli drone strike on Catholic church in Gaza kills three, injures priest and civilians; Netanyahu claims it was unintentional.
Watan-The White House reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday that the strike on a Catholic church in Gaza was a “mistake.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump had called Netanyahu after the President reacted negatively upon learning about the incident.
She added: “The Israeli targeting of the Catholic church was a mistake — that’s what the Prime Minister told the President.”
Later Thursday evening, Netanyahu issued a statement saying that Israel “deeply regrets” the strike on the church, calling it a “tragedy.” His office stated: “Israel deeply regrets that stray munitions hit the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful.”
Karoline Leavitt was questioned on the Israeli bombing of a Catholic Church in Gaza; Leavitt stated, President Trump contacted Prime Minister Netanyahu to convey his dissatisfaction.
pic.twitter.com/dKyUOqpnQj— Keystone Inquirer (@PAInquirer) July 17, 2025
The strike involved an Israeli drone that targeted the Latin Monastery Church in Gaza’s Old City on Thursday, killing three people and injuring several others, including the church’s priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, who was wounded in the leg. The bombing caused significant destruction to large parts of the church complex.
Dozens of displaced Christian families had been sheltering in the church, which is one of the oldest Christian religious centers in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, the Israeli army stated that it was investigating the incident.
