Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Pope Leo XIV on Saturday after a church in Gaza was hit killing at least three people, in an IDF attack, the Vatican said in a statement adding that the Pope called for a ceasefire and an end to the war and expressed his concern over the “dramatic humanitarian situation,” in the Strip. He also stressed the need to protect holy sites in the West Bank and in Israel.
The IDF said the church was hit by shell fragments and Netanyahu expressed regret over the incident. “Every innocent life lost is a tragedy,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) read. Netanyahu said that Israel was investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and religious sites.