The funeral of two Christians killed by an Israeli strike took place late Thursday in Gaza City. They were two of three victims who died then a Israeli shell slammed into the compound of the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday,

Two women were killed and several people were injured following a strike which hit the Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip, doctors at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City said on Thursday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized Thursday for the Israeli Defense Force's bombing of Gaza's only Catholic church Thursday morning.

Top church leaders in the Holy Land headed into Gaza Friday for a rare solidarity visit one day after an Israeli shell slammed into the only Catholic church in the territory, killing three people.

Ahmed Qandil, who specialized in general surgery, had been on his way to Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital when he was killed, Gaza’s Health Ministry spokesman confirmed to AP. Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of the Holy Family Parish,

As U.N. agencies issue dire warnings of humanitarian collapse in Gaza, the Catholic arm of an organization that promotes Christian engagement in the Near East has announced a nine-day novena prayer for peace in the Holy Land to begin on July 16.