Eighteen Palestinians who were mostly Christians, including relatives of a former congressman, were killed after an Israeli airstrike hit the grounds of Gaza City’s St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church — one of the oldest on Earth.
The church, the oldest active church in Gaza and the third oldest in the world, was falsely rumored to have been hit in the opening days of the war in Gaza. On Thursday, it was first revealed by church authorities that its compound had been hit in an Israeli airstrike, and that fact was confirmed later by footage and Israeli authorities themselves. Hundreds were sheltering within the church complex when an Israeli airstrike destroyed a building adjacent to the church. Former Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who is of Palestinian Christian descent, revealed that some of his relatives were killed in the blast.
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“With great sadness, I have now confirmed that several of my relatives (including Viola and Yara pictured here) were killed at Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had been sheltering, when part of the complex was destroyed as the result of an Israeli airstrike. Give rest, O Lord, to their souls, and may their memories be eternal,” Amash said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much. Our family is hurting badly,” he added. “May God watch over all Christians in Gaza — and all Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, whatever their religion or creed.”
I was really worried about this. 😔 With great sadness, I have now confirmed that several of my relatives (including Viola and Yara pictured here) were killed at Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had been sheltering, when part of the complex was destroyed as… pic.twitter.com/w5k1xEeTgF
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) October 20, 2023
The church compound included of a chapel, seven buildings, and a courtyard. The church itself sustained only light damage — the building destroyed was described by a bishop interviewed the following day as being an administrative building of the compound, but it had turned into a shelter for displaced families. He estimated that there were 150 people inside when it was hit.
The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged that the damage was from an Israeli air strike and said it was looking into it but “categorically” denied it had targeted the church.
The IDF released footage of the strike, with the intended target being a Hamas command and control center across the street from the church. Though labeling the intended target in the video, the airstrike appeared to have missed, destroying a building in the church complex.
NEW: The IDF has released footage of what it describes as an airstrike on the “command and control center” of Hamas terrorists in a building near the Orthodox church of St Porphyrius.
Earlier, Hamas claimed that Israel hit the church and killed 17 people. pic.twitter.com/2pdsrjuFWw
— Charlie Peters (@CDP1882) October 20, 2023
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the action as a war crime.
“The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expresses its strongest condemnation of the Israeli airstrike that have struck its church compound in the city of Gaza,” a statement from the patriarchate said. “The Patriarchate emphasizes that 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 thirteen days, constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored.”
“The Patriarchate stresses that it will not abandon its religious and humanitarian duty, rooted in its Christian values, to provide all that is necessary in times of war and peace alike,” it added.
Footage posted online showed a funeral service for the victims of Thursday’s strike.
A funeral ceremony is held for the Palestinians who lost their lives in the attack carried out by Israel on St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/mc5BNvXXcm
— Radar Africa (@radarafricacom) October 20, 2023
The St. Porphyrius Church was first built in 425 A.D., and it underwent extensive remodeling by the Crusaders in the 12th century, according to the Greek City Times. It was named after the former bishop of Gaza, who is particularly revered by Gazan Christians.
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While most Christian Palestinians are located in the West Bank, Gaza still holds a small 1,000-strong population of Christians. The airstrike on the church compound is the second major blow the dwindling community has undergone, with some Christians being caught in the al Ahli Baptist Hospital blast that killed hundreds.
Palestinian Christians make up one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, though their number has shrunk drastically since the turmoil surrounding Israel’s independence in 1948.
