U.S. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday following a deadly Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, which left three people dead and several others injured, the White House confirmed.
“It was not a positive reaction,” a White House spokeswoman told reporters when asked about Trump's response to the incident, according to Reuters. “He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza.”
According to the spokeswoman, Netanyahu acknowledged the strike was a mistake and agreed to issue a public statement. “It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church. That’s what the prime minister relayed to the president,” she said.
A separate State Department spokeswoman added: “I think it’s an understatement to say that he [Trump] was not happy.” The department said Washington had urged Israel to launch a full investigation into the strike.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the small Christian community in Gaza, said the Holy Family Church was hit during Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, killing two women and one man. Several others, including parish staff, were reportedly injured.
In a statement, the Patriarchate condemned “this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place”, calling for accountability and international attention.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident, while the Foreign Ministry noted the results of an investigation would be made public. Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed regret, saying Israel “deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church".
The airstrike came amid a broader escalation in Gaza, where at least 27 people were reported killed in Israeli attacks on Thursday, according to medics and church officials.
