Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country "deeply regrets that a stray ammunition" hit Gaza's only Catholic Church, killing three people sheltering there.
"Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful," he said in a statement.
The incident happened on Thursday when an Israeli strike hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. Several people were also injured, said the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem which oversees the small parish.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put out a statement after the military’s deadly attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip.
ReplyDeleteThis comes after immense pressure from the United States following a call between the Israeli prime minister and US President Donald Trump.
In that call, Netanyahu admitted that this strike was a mistake.
In a statement later on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: "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.
ReplyDelete"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," the statement added.
US President Donald Trump has held a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the circumstances of a shelling of Holy Family Church in the Gaza Strip, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
ReplyDelete"It was not a positive reaction. He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza," the White House spokeswoman told reporters.
"And I understand the prime minister agreed to put out a statement. It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church. That's what the prime minister relayed to the president," the White House spokeswoman added.
"Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church," Netanyahu said earlier. "Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites," he assured.
ReplyDeleteLe Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu a exprimé ses « profonds regrets » après la frappe sur une église à Gaza, qui a fait trois morts, qualifiant cet incident de « tragédie ».
Le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu a déclaré jeudi soir qu’Israël « regrette profondément » la frappe sur une église à Gaza, qui a fait trois morts dans la matinée, qualifiant les morts de « tragédie », selon un communiqué de son bureau.
« Israël regrette profondément qu’un tir perdu ait atteint l’église de la Sainte Famille à Gaza. Chaque vie innocente perdue est une tragédie. Nous partageons la douleur des familles et des fidèles », a-t-il ajouté.