An explosion Thursday night at St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City destroyed the church’s assembly hall, injuring and killing dozens of people inside.
At least 500 people, including many of Gaza’s small Christian minority, have been sheltering in the church since the war began. The explosion killed at least 40 people, including 19 Christians, according to preliminary reports.
Neither
side of the conflict has released a statement claiming responsibility
for the attack. Gaza authorities state that it was an Israeli airstrike, while Israel has not yet made a statement at the time of reporting. International Christian Concern continues to monitor the situation as more information becomes known and verified.
St. Porphyrius is an ancient church, with the church’s original site dating to the 5th
century AD. It is the largest of the three churches still open in the
Gaza Strip and one of the main locations where Gaza’s Christian
community have been sheltering during the war, believing it to be one of
the last safe places in Gaza.
The church is administered by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which issued an official statement after the strike on their church in Gaza:
“Despite
the evident targeting of the facilities and shelters of the Orthodox
Patriarchate of Jerusalem and other churches – including the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem Hospital,
other schools, and social institutions – the Patriarchate, along with
the other churches, remain committed to fulfilling its religious and
moral duty in providing assistance, support, and refuge to those in
need, amidst continuous Israeli demands to evacuate these institutions
of civilians and the pressures exerted on the churches in this regard.
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.”
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