Hundreds of Christian and Muslim Palestinians have been sheltering at the Holy Family Catholic Church, whose priest was close with the late Pope Francis.

An Israeli bombing of the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday has killed two women and wounded other Palestinians, including a pastor. The attack on the Holy Family Church, also known as the Latin Monastery Church, has sparked worldwide condemnation, including a backlash from the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

As cease-fire talks stalled, a deadly strike on a Catholic church in Gaza City prompted Pope Leo XIV to call for an immediate end to the fighting.