Israel said Thursday that it “deeply regrets” a deadly strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, which killed three people.

A priest who was a close friend of the late Pope Francis has been injured in an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa entered Gaza on Friday to bring aid to victims of Israel's strike on the sole Catholic church in the Palestinian enclave, while he and a Vatican official questioned Israeli explanations for the incident.