GAZA - In a phone call to Pope Leo XIV, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed Israel’s regret “for the tragic incident in which stray ammunition...
accidentally” struck the Holy Family Church in Gaza. Three people were killed and 10 were wounded in the attack. Israel has repeatedly attacked churches and the displaced Palestinians sheltering inside them since it began its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Netanyahu sent Israel’s condolences to the families of those hurt in the incident, read a statement from the prime minister’s office. The Israeli leader also gave the pontiff an update on efforts to secure a deal for the captives and a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza – “efforts that have so far not been reciprocated by Hamas,” a statement claimed. A short while ago, a Hamas spokesperson said that Israel had rejected a deal that would have seen the release of all captives held by Palestinian groups in Gaza. (Al Jazeera)