Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel had made a “mistake” in striking Gaza’s only Catholic church, according to the White House. The admission came during a phone call between Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump, as confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing on Friday (local time).

Leavitt noted that Trump’s response to the church strike was not positive and prompted him to call Netanyahu directly. “He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to discuss the strike on the church in Gaza. From what I understand, the Prime Minister agreed to release a statement. He admitted that the strike on the Catholic church was a mistake,” Leavitt said. She encouraged reporters to refer to Netanyahu’s official statement.

Following the call and apparent pressure from Trump, Israel expressed sorrow over the incident, attributing the strike on the Holy Family Church to a misfired shell amid ongoing military operations in Gaza. “Israel deeply regrets that stray ammunition struck Gaza’s Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We mourn with the families and the faithful,” read the statement from Netanyahu’s office. The statement also extended thanks to Pope Leo for his comforting remarks and affirmed Israel’s commitment to protecting civilians and religious sites, while confirming that an investigation into the strike was underway.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) echoed this sentiment, explaining that preliminary findings suggested fragments from a shell fired during nearby operations may have unintentionally hit the church. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the IDF reiterated that its targets are strictly military and that it takes extensive measures to avoid harming civilians and religious locations. According to Al Jazeera, the strike killed three people and injured at least ten others at Gaza’s sole Catholic church.