Death toll in Gaza church strike rises to 3, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem says

By Reuters and ToI Staff 17 July 2025, 7:03 pm

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A view of the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, after an Israeli tank shell hit the church, in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on July 17, 2025. (Omar al-Qattaa/AFP)

The death toll in the apparent Israeli strike on a church in the Gaza Strip has risen to three, according to a statement by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Two women and one man died and nine people were wounded, including one in critical condition and two in serious condition, in the strike on Gaza’s Holy Family Church, says the Patriarchate, which oversees the small parish.

“The Latin Patriarchate strongly condemns this tragedy and this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place,” the statement says, adding that the victims had turned to the church compound as a safe haven “after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away.”

“This horrific war must come to a complete end,” it says.