Father Gabriel Romanelli, the Argentine priest who runs the Holy Family Church in Gaza, described the July 17 bombing of the church, in which three people were killed and a dozen were injured, including himself.

In a YouTube stream from the parrish entitled ‘Después de todo’ (After all), Romanelli told viewers that on the day of the bombing he had just finished an interview and was going downstairs to greet someone when he heard an explosion and people hit the ground.

“We heard a great explosion. We didn’t know what had happened. We began assisting the injured, there was a state of confusion,” he said. “Fifteen people were injured, I also have an injury on my leg that is not serious, and a small injury on my side from a shrapnel.” 

Romanelli described the dead as two elderly women, and one of the doormen, “a very good man, who was at his work post,” he added. He was being visited by a young man, who was hit by shrapnel that punctured his lung. Another man was also hurt by shrapnel on his abdomen. 

The video featured pictures of the dead and the damage to the building while Romanelli described the events. 

There are currently almost 500 people living in the church as refugees, most of them Christian (orthodox or Catholic), and around 50 Muslim children and disabled people.

In an interview with Radio Mitre on Monday, Romanelli told reporters that on the day of the bombing there were less people than usual because of the heat, as temperatures can rise over 40ºC and the rooms where families stay are too small.

Last week, the Israel Defense Forces stated that the circumstances of the bombing were  “under review” and that the IDF makes “every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them.”

“I am no specialist,” Romanelli said, “but it hit the front of the temple. It hit us directly.” He added that while the church is regularly hit by shrapnel from outside bombings, this wasn’t the case. Photos of the church taken after the incident show the impact on the front of the building, with black burnt marks. The cross standing at the top of the church was not damaged.

“Israel said it was a mistake. The truth is that it was a direct hit, regardless of their intentions, which are for God to judge,” said Romanelli.

The priest, who used to speak on the phone on a daily basis with the late Pope Francis, said that Pope Leo XIV tried calling him, but he was not able to take the call because his cellphone was out of service. At the time, he said, he had gone to welcome ranking members of the orthodox church who visited the parrish. 

“A few days earlier he had sent us a message through the apostolic nunciature, saying that he was very concerned and calling an end to the hostility as soon as possible.”