ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia condemned on Thursday an Israeli airstrike on a Catholic church in the northern Gaza Strip, in the latest attacks on religious sites and civilians in the enclave.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry strongly denounced the attack on the Holy Family Church in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City and reiterated its rejection of the ongoing Israeli assaults on places of worship and civilians in the besieged Palestinian territory.

“These repeated attacks in the region, carried out without any deterrent, require a firm stance from all nations to put an end to the crimes of the Israeli occupation,” the statement said.

The kingdom renewed its call on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to take serious measures to address Israel’s violations and to activate international mechanisms for accountability.

Three people were killed and nine others injured, including one in critical condition, in the church attack, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Among the injured was the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, who sustained a light injury, it added.

The Israeli army claimed that the circumstances of the attack were under review.

In the course of its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has bombed several worship places, including the Gaza Baptist Church and the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest in the Gaza Strip and the third oldest in the world.

The Holy Family Church is the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, which has been sheltering many displaced Christian and Muslim Palestinians since October 2023.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 58,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.