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Pope Leo has expressed his deep sorrow over an Israeli strike that hit Gaza's only Catholic church. The strike killed at least three Palestinian Christians sheltering inside, including two women. And it wounded at least nine others, including the parish priest, who had spoken daily with Pope Francis before he died. The Israeli government has expressed sorrow over the attack and says the military is investigating. NPR's Daniel Estrin brings us reporting from NPR's Anas Baba in Gaza City.
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: The steepled roof of the sanctuary was damaged in the Israeli strike this morning at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, as NPR's Anas Baba observed.
ANAS BABA, BYLINE: I'm at the gates of the church in the old Gaza City. This church shelters around 400 Christian from Gaza since the start of this war, displaced after the Israeli airstrikes and the war started in Gaza for almost 21 months.
ESTRIN: This Catholic church has been hit before in the war.
(SOUNDBITE OF GURNEYS ROLLING)
ESTRIN: This morning, the wounded were wheeled on gurneys into a hospital. It was just after morning prayers when the Israeli artillery strike hit the church grounds, says Shady Abu Dawood, sheltering with his family there.
SHADY ABU DAWOOD: (Non-English language spoken).
ESTRIN: "We were sitting in the church courtyard when it was hit. My mother and son were wounded," he says.
IHAB AYAD: (Non-English language spoken).
ESTRIN: "In one second, everything was ash, gray fog and flying debris," says Ihab Ayad, another member of the Christian community sheltering in the church. "There is no justification for targeting mosques and churches. They have the technology to identify their targets accurately," he says, referring to Israel.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, quote, "everyone is appalled." The White House said President Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who released a rare statement of remorse, saying, quote, "Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit the church," and that Israel was investigating.
Pope Francis, when he was alive, would call the Catholic Church in Gaza almost every day, Father Gabriel Romanelli of the Gaza church told Vatican news in February.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
GABRIEL ROMANELLI: (Non-English language spoken).
ESTRIN: "Even though there was a power blackout in Gaza, the pope kept trying to get through until he was able to speak with the parishioners in a video call and send everyone there his blessings," Father Romanelli said at the time. Romanelli was lightly wounded in his leg in today's strike. Pope Leo sent the church his prayers today and hope for peace and reconciliation. Gaza health officials said in the past day, around 100 other people were killed in Israeli strikes.
UNIDENTIFIED PARISHIONERS: (Vocalizing).
ESTRIN: This afternoon, parishioners filled the pews inside the ornate Catholic church for the funerals of the parish janitor and two elderly women who had sought shelter on the church grounds for the last 21 months of war, hoping to survive.
Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv, with NPR's Anas Baba in Gaza City.
(SOUNDBITE OF BLOOMTALES' "CHAPTER ONE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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