NEW YORK CITY — It is a welcome and humane gesture amidst the inhumanity of war.

Last month, the only Catholic church in Gaza, which has served as a refuge for hundreds during the Israel-Hamas war, was damaged by Israeli fire. Shrapnel flew throughout the complex, killing three people and injuring the parish priest. The tiny Catholic community in Gaza has been the subject of special concern for Catholic leadership; the late Pope Francis would call every evening to check in with the pastor.

The Israel Defence Forces said the bombing was a mistake, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Pope Leo XIV to explain what happened. Israeli diplomats throughout the world got in touch with local Catholic leaders to offer regrets and apologies for the misfire. But the growing internati

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