A Greek Orthodox church in Gaza, which was housing around 500 Palestinians who had fled their homes, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Friday, October 20. The Palestinian health officials said at least 16 people were killed by the overnight attack.
In a statement issued by the church, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed its strongest condemnation against the Israeli airstrike that struck its church compound in the city of Gaza.
Although there are no definite figures from the church on a death toll, the Palestinian health ministry has stated that 16 Palestinian Christians were killed in the attack. There are a total of 1,000 Christians living among the 2 million Gazans.
The Greek-orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church is the oldest church in Gaza, located in the historic neighbourhood and third oldest church in the world. There are even reports from eyewitnesses that the building adjacent to the church also collapsed.
According to Al Jazeera, a priest at the church had predicted the potential attack on the Saint Porphyrius Church since both Muslims and Christians were seeking refuge in the church. Father Elias had said that any strike on the church “would not only be an attack on religion, which is a vile deed, but also an attack on humanity.”
Moreover, the Orthodox Patriarchate, condemning the relentless barrage of Israeli fire, stated, “Targeting churches and their institutions, along with the shelters they provide to protect innocent citizens, especially children and women who have lost their homes due to Israeli airstrikes on residential areas over the past 13 days, constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored.”
The Israeli military justified the damage done to the church by saying, “Hamas intentionally embeds its assets in civilian areas and uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields.”
Since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, which killed 1,400 people, Israeli airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza strip have killed more than 4,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and displaced over half a million civilians, according to the Palestine Health Ministry. The need for food, water, fuel, and medical supplies is desperate in Gaza.
