Israel admits it bombed Gaza's only Catholic church over an 'inadvertent diversion' of ammunition; the Vatican doubts its version.

The Israeli military said Wednesday that last Thursday's attack on the only Catholic church, the Holy Family parish in Gaza City , which left three dead, was due to an "inadvertent diversion" of ammunition during a military operation in the area.

"The investigation revealed that during an operation by Israeli Defense Forces troops in the Gaza City area, the church was accidentally hit due to an unintentional diversion of ammunition," the army said in a statement.

"The impact caused damage to the building and left several Gazan civilians injured," he added.

The Army added that during the operation, "adjustments were made" to improve the accuracy of the fire, and after the incident, "guidelines for opening fire near religious buildings, shelters, and other sensitive locations were clarified."

The attack occurred last Thursday at around 10:20 local time (07:20 GMT), when nearly 500 displaced people, including children and people with disabilities, were taking refuge in the church.

The bomb also wounded the parish priest, the Argentine Gabriel Romanelli, who had become popular in Italy for the daily calls from his compatriot, the late Pope Francis , who from the beginning of the Israeli offensive had called him to ask about the situation in Gaza and the hundreds of displaced people taking refuge in that church.

Following the bombing , the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, accompanied by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilos III, visited the Gaza Strip for three days as part of an ecclesiastical delegation that delivered humanitarian aid and expressed solidarity with the local Christian community.

Last Saturday, July 19, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin questioned the Israeli version— which at the time, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attributed the attack to "a stray munition"—and expressed doubts about whether the attack was truly a mistake.

Speaking to Italian public television RAI, the Vatican's top diplomat stated that " one can legitimately doubt" whether it was truly a mistake or whether there was an intention behind it, considering that Christians are "an element of moderation" in the Middle East.

"What has happened is absolutely serious," he stressed.