The Israeli government has denied deliberately targeting churches or other religious landmarks, stating it deeply regrets any damage to such sites or harm caused to civilians not involved in the conflict.
This follows an explosion at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, where Israel expressed regret over the resulting civilian injuries and the destruction within the church compound.
While maintaining that religious sites are not intentional targets, officials have pledged to investigate the incident thoroughly.
According to a release from the Foreign Ministry, Israel expressed “deep sorrow over the damage [to the church] and over any civilian casualty,” after reports confirmed that several individuals were hurt in the blast, including four with serious injuries.
“Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians,” the statement read. It also confirmed that a formal probe is underway.
“The IDF is examining this incident, the circumstances of which are still unclear, and the results of the investigation will be published transparently,” the ministry added.
Though the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not directly taken responsibility, the explosion reportedly struck within the compound of Gaza’s only Catholic church.
A representative of the Protecting Holy Land Christians campaign stated that eight people sustained injuries in the attack, four seriously and four with less severe wounds.
