After US pushback, 'Israel' 'apologizes' for Gaza Church strike
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While thousands of Palestinians are killed without remorse or accountability, it was only the US condemnation of the Church strike in Gaza that prompted "Israel" to apologize, claiming it was a "mistake".
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An injured Palestinian was transferred to the hospital after an Israeli strike hit the Holy Family Catholic Church compound in Gaza City on June 17, 2025. (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an 'apology' on Thursday for the shelling of Gaza’s only Catholic church, the Holy Family Church, after a reported rebuke from US President Donald Trump. According to reports, the deadly strike killed three and wounded several others.
"Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy," Netanyahu’s office stated.
The apology followed a wave of international condemnation, and a direct phone call from Trump, who, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, "did not react positively" to the incident. Leavitt confirmed that Trump personally called Netanyahu on Thursday morning, pressuring him to issue a public statement. Netanyahu, in response, alleged that the strike was "a mistake by the Israelis."
'They hit the church directly'
Critics were quick to highlight the broader pattern behind “Israel’s” genocide in Gaza: only when high-profile Western figures express 'outrage' does the Israeli entity offer 'apologies', arguing that the church bombing represents just one attack among countless others that have devastated Palestinians in Gaza since October 7.
The Holy Family Church had become a refuge for many Palestinians, including Gaza’s remaining Christians, amid the Israeli entity's relentless bombardment and total blockade. Among the wounded was Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, who had been in close contact with the Vatican throughout the Israeli genocide.
The farewell ceremony of the two Palestinian Christians who were killed in the Israeli air strike that targeted the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/si7FeahYtt
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) July 17, 2025
Pope Leo XIV expressed sorrow at the loss of life and renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of occupied al-Quds, questioned "Israel’s" official narrative: "What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this. They hit the church directly."
A pattern of violence, apology, and impunity
Netanyahu’s apology comes amid a recurring pattern: "Israel" kills with impunity and offers only pretenses of remorse when pressured by the West.
The same West, spearheaded by the United States, has poured billions of dollars’ worth of lethal weaponry into the hands of the Israeli occupation, directly fueling its relentless assault on the Gaza Strip. This uninterrupted arms flow, coupled with unwavering diplomatic protection, has rendered Washington complicit in what is now unequivocally described as genocide.
Despite overwhelming evidence of mass civilian casualties and the systematic destruction of hospitals, refugee camps, and places of worship, the US has repeatedly wielded its veto at the UN Security Council to block calls for a ceasefire, effectively shielding “Israel” from global accountability.
When a church in Gaza was bombed, a single phone call from the US president prompted "Israel" to issue an apology, calling the attack a "mistake." The incident has raised questions over why similar urgency is lacking when entire neighborhoods are flattened and thousands of Palestinians are killed.
