Posted on 10/20/2023 3:22:55 PM PDT by Morgana
A Greek Orthodox church compound in the Gaza Strip sheltering hundreds of Palestinians of multiple faiths was reportedly damaged by a fatal Israeli airstrike on Thursday.
The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem announced that a building on the compound of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrios, the oldest church in Gaza, was damaged in the overnight Israeli airstrike.
"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 of Jerusalem stressed in a statement.
Palestinian health officials claimed that at least 16 Palestinian Christians were among the 18 people killed in the blast, reports The Washington Post. At least 20 others were injured.
Approximately 500 Palestinian Christians and Muslims had reportedly been seeking refuge from airstrikes in the church.
The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) confirmed to AFP that a portion of the church had been damaged during an airstrike targeting Hamas military compounds but maintained that the church itself was not the intended target.
"As a result of the IDF strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged. We are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review," the Israeli military said, adding that they "can unequivocally state that the Church was not the target of the strike."
Archbishop Alexios of Tiberias, who was at the site, said the strike "hit the offices and the entrance of the monastery," according to The Orthodox Times.
"They were bombarded with a missile and the whole building collapsed. There were Christians inside, many of whom have been injured. They have to bring bulldozers, so we can see how many people are under the rubble," the archbishop added.
Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza in response to an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people — including at least 30 Americans. Israel is also said to be preparing for a potential ground invasion into Gaza.
More than 3,000 have been killed and 12,500 injured in the airstrikes, according to Hamas-run government health officials.
The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee, founded in 2020 by a former Trump White House official to "provide public advocacy for the global Orthodox Christian Church," condemned the destruction of the church and called for an end to "the senseless killing of innocent civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian."
"[We] extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the entire Greek Orthodox community affected by this tragedy," OPAC wrote in a statement.
"OPAC firmly believes in the sanctity of sacred spaces and the importance of protecting religious sites as symbols of peace, unity, and spirituality. The bombing of a place of worship, of any faith, is an affront to the values we hold dear and signifies a grave violation of human rights."
According to OPAC, the church has stood since the 12th century.
"The loss of innocent lives is an intolerable consequence of ongoing conflicts in the region," the OPAC statement concludes. "It is imperative that all parties involved recognize the significance of preserving life and prioritize peaceful dialogue to bring an end to this mayhem."
There are less than 1,000 Christians left in Gaza, a marked decline from the more than 7,000 who lived there before Hamas took over the region in 2007, according to local church officials.
The church is named for St. Porphyrios, who served as bishop of Gaza from A.D. 395 to 420. The present structure, which Crusaders built in the 1100s, was constructed on the former site of an earlier church that dates as far back as the fifth century.
St. Porphyrios also served as a place of refuge for Palestinian Muslims seeking refuge from Israeli bombardment in 2014, according to Reuters.
"least 16 Palestinian Christians were among the 18 people killed in the blast,"
Are we to believe the so called Christian Palestinians dont want dead like their Islamo countrymen? Sorry, no sale.
BS
They are stuck in the middle of this.
Yep, they want the Jews dead, too.
The leftist msm, carrying the islamonazi’s water makes me sick.
Did the Patriarchate comment on the original hamas terrorist attack that set all of this in motion?
“Yep, they want the Jews dead, too.”
I’ve NEVER heard this from palestinian christians. Please don’t put them in one big lump.
War is, what is the word I am thinking of?....
> Not all Palestinians are Muslims. <
Yes. And not all Berliners caught up in the Allied bombings were Nazis.
We must pray for the innocents. And we must not forget for a second who started things. The Nazis in 1939. The Muslims in 2023.
The ones that I’ve known didn’t feel that way, but said that the hatred was pretty widespread over there.
Just my experience.
Not a definitive study, of course.
Not buying Christians among the Pali monsters.
So they rebuilt it in 1100 AD, or so, you say? Who knew the muzzies invented cinder blocks that far back? Those are modern materials in that rubble pile. And it’s claimed the Israelis missed a target? Yup, sure-—tell me again who was hiding in the place?
Perhaps I came across as a bit harsh in my post #8. I totally understand what you’re saying! Christianity has a long history in that region. And we must be mindful of the many sacrifices that these Christians have made.
Likewise, we must be mindful that these Christians are not being used for propaganda purposes, to deflect blame away from Hamas and towards Israel. I am NOT saying you are doing that. I’m just saying we have to be aware of the possible propaganda.
This is because Biden is blocking Israel from going in on the ground and avoiding inevitable misses by air strikes.
I seriously can’t believe that people here have forgotten that some Palestinians are CHRISTIANS. You all do know there are Christian churches over there right? Mostly Catholic and Orthodox but they do exist.
Palestinian Christians have been caught in the middle of this fight for decades.
Lightman you have the Orthodox ping, please ping out my two threads on this and have Orthodox church members come in here and tell people that there are actually “Palestinians Christians” PLEASE with sugar on top
Christian or muslim. Muslim or Christian. Who cares?
This comment by a Pali tells me he is a pro terrorist sympathizer..... “constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored,” the Patriarchate of Jerusalem stressed in a statement.
Yes, a lot of Palestinian “christians” also want the jews exterminated and Israel ended.
Israel goes in and Iran will go through them like a salt enema.
Iran has been itching for the real thing for a long time and that president of their is like “Just give me a reason, Israel”
Now Israel has just pissed off the Orthodox community.
This is not going to end well.
So they’re Christian. So What?
Ask the average Jew hating pro terrorist college idiot at Harvard or anywhere else in the US and they’ll say they are “Christian” also.
These Palestinian Christians support Hamas. End of Discussion.
True Christians and Innocent Christians are aware of this.
This is heartbreaking and tragic, and most Christians know it can happen to them.
About a week ago, Armenian Christians chose to flee considering the history of the Muslims, Kurds, and Turks.
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