By Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a deadly Israeli strike on Gaza’s sole Catholic Church, the White House said on Thursday, adding Trump did not react positively to the incident.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
An Israeli strike on Gaza’s sole Catholic Church killed three people and injured several others, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the small parish, said on Thursday.
The Patriarchate condemned “this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place,” saying two women and one man were killed in the attack on the Holy Family Church.
KEY QUOTES
The White House was asked in a press briefing about Trump’s reaction to the Israeli strike on the church.
“It was not a positive reaction. He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza,” the White House spokeswoman told reporters.
“And I understand the prime minister agreed to put out a statement. It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church. That’s what the prime minister relayed to the president,” the White House spokeswoman added.
A State Department’s spokeswoman separately added: “I think its an understatement to say that he (Trump) was not happy.” The State Department said Washington asked Israel to probe the strike.
CONTEXT
The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the results of the investigation would be published. Netanyahu said Israel “deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church.”
Israeli forces killed at least 27 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including the three killed in the church strike, according to medics and church officials.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Kanishka Singh; additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)
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