GAZA CITY (Reuters) -A strike on Gaza’s sole Catholic Church injured several people but caused no deaths, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on Thursday.
Earlier reports from doctors at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City said two women had been killed following the raid.
“The Holy Family Church in Gaza has been struck by a raid this morning. There are several injuries in the place, including the Parish Priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli,” the Patriarchate said in a statement.
“Currently there are no fatalities confirmed. The Church sustained damage,” it added.
The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Israeli Defense Forces said it was looking into the matter.
Father Romanelli, an Argentine, used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to Italy’s ANSA news agency, he suffered light leg injuries.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the attack.
“The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude,” she said in a statement.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini in Rome and Nidal Al Mughrabi, Editing by Giulia Segreti, William Maclean)
