JERUSALEM: Israeli military on Wednesday said a church in Gaza was struck accidentally.

The Holy Family Church in Gaza City was struck last week by an Israeli shell, an attack that killed three, wounded 10 and damaged the church's compound.

The military said an internal inquiry found the church was hit after an “unintentional deviation of munitions.”

The strike drew condemnation from Pope Leo XIV and US President Donald Trump, and prompted statements of regret from Israel.

Holy Family is the only Catholic church in Gaza. Top church leaders from the Holy Land visited the site a day after the incident and said they encountered a Gaza “almost totally destroyed.”