JERUSALEM/UNITED NATIONS/GAZA/LJUBLJANA - Israel "deeply regrets" a bombing of Gaza's only Catholic church on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in an attack that killed three people and wounded at least 10 others.
In a statement, Netanyahu said the strike was caused by "stray ammunition" that hit the Holy Family Church.
"Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful," he said.
In a post on social media platform X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Israel Defense Forces was "examining this incident, the circumstances of which are still unclear".
It added that the results of the investigation would be published "transparently".
UN chief condemns deadly church attack
A UN spokeswoman said on Thursday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemns the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, a sanctuary for civilians.
"Attacks on places of worship are unacceptable," said Stephanie Tremblay, associate spokesperson for the UN chief. "People seeking shelter must be respected and protected, not hit by strikes."
Too many lives have already been lost. The secretary-general calls on all parties to ensure that civilians are respected and protected at all times and allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza at scale, said Tremblay, adding that there is an urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
ALSO READ: UN humanitarians say dozens killed while seeking food in Gaza
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday that Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours have hit sites hosting displaced Palestinians, with some of them injured and killed.
Between July 8 and 15, according to OCHA, more than 11,600 people were newly displaced, bringing the overall displacement since the breakdown of the ceasefire on March 18 to more than 737,000 people, about 35 percent of Gaza's population. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza 21 months ago, nearly everyone has been displaced, in many cases multiple times.
Israeli attacks across Gaza kill 34
On Thursday, at least 34 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, whereas two rockets fired from northern Gaza towards Israel were intercepted, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
Eight people were killed in an Israeli attack on aid workers in the Sudaniya area, northwest of Gaza City, and six others were killed in Israeli shelling of two residential apartments and a gathering of Palestinians in several neighborhoods of Gaza City, said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza.
A Palestinian family of seven were killed in the bombing of their home in the Jabalia area, northern Gaza, Basal said.
In central Gaza, four Palestinians were killed in Israeli artillery shelling of a gathering of people east of the Nuseirat refugee camp, and five others were killed in the bombing of a displaced persons' tent inside the Abu Helu school in the adjacent Bureij camp, he said.
A girl was killed and several others injured in an Israeli drone strike on displaced persons' tents northwest of Khan Younis city, southern Gaza, Nasser Medical Complex in the city reported. A young man was killed in an airstrike on the al-Mawasi area.
ALSO READ: At least 47 killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza, sources say
According to Palestinian security sources, Israeli artillery shelled the northern, eastern, and southern outskirts of Gaza City, amidst helicopter gunfire. The army also blew up residential buildings in the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said in a statement that it has intercepted two rockets fired from northern Gaza towards southern Israel. No injuries or damage have been reported in the incident.
Two Israeli ministers declared personae non gratae
In another development, the Slovenian government on Thursday declared Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich personae non gratae, citing their incitement to violence and grave violations of Palestinian human rights through what it called "genocidal" statements.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said Slovenia is the first European Union member state to impose such a ban on the two Israeli ministers.
The decision comes after EU foreign ministers failed to reach a consensus on joint action against Israel during their meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Slovenia becomes latest EU country to recognize Palestinian state
Slovenia, which officially recognized the State of Palestine in June 2024, has been critical of Israel's intensified military operations in Gaza. The government has called for an immediate halt to the offensive and urged Israel to allow the rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
