Israel apologizes for deadly strike on Gaza Catholic church
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CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV renewed his call on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect international laws and the obligation to protect civilians.
Pope Leo XIV spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a tank hit the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people.
Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, 60; Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, 84; and Najwa Abu Daoud, 70, were fatally wounded by shrapnel that scattered across the compound after the explosion.
Pope Leo XIV urged “an immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip. Not long before, an Israeli strike had hit Gaza’s sole Catholic Church, killing three people who had been sheltering there and injuring 10 more.