Overview
- The Israel Defense Forces expressed regret that a stray shell hit the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City and said it is reviewing the incident.
- Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza to console survivors, evacuate the injured and deliver hundreds of tonnes of food and medical supplies.
- The Holy Family Church compound had been sheltering hundreds of displaced Gazans, including children and people with disabilities, when it was struck on July 17.
- U.S.- and Qatari-led ceasefire negotiations in Doha have stalled, and the attack on the church has intensified international calls for an immediate truce.
- Since October 2023, the Gaza war has claimed over 58,000 Palestinian lives and about 1,650 Israeli lives, with hospitals, shelters and religious sites repeatedly damaged.