The ancient Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza was caught in a devastating explosion on Thursday, with the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem blaming Israel for the blast.
Church officials say two halls in their compound were hit on Thursday while providing shelter to hundreds of people displaced by the war, including women and children.
“The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expresses its strongest condemnation of the Israeli airstrike that have struck its church compound in the city of Gaza,” the Church said in an official statement, describing the alleged bombing as a “war crime”.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say they were targeting a Hamas command center and are aware of having “damaged the wall of a church in the area,” adding they are investigating the claims of civilian casualties.
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Serving Christian communities dating back to the earliest days of Christianity, churches in Gaza and the West Bank are often critical of the Israel government – although their precarious position, surrounded by much larger Muslim communities in territory controlled by jihadist entities such as Hamas, likely plays a role on this.
The Church of St. Porphyrius dates back to the 5th century.
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