Several dead and injured by Israeli airstrike at oldest church in Gaza

Several displaced people sheltering at a church compound in Gaza were killed and injured after an Israeli strike late Thursday, 20 October.

The strike left a "large number of martyrs and injured" at the compound of the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, according to a statement by the interior ministry in Gaza.

Witnesses told AFP the strike appeared to have been aimed at a target close to the place of worship where many residents had taken refuge as Israel's airstrikes raged on the Palestinian enclave.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed its fighter jets had hit a command and control centre involved in launching rockets and mortars toward Israel.

"As a result of the IDF strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged," it said, adding, "We are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review".

Witnesses said the strike damaged the facade of the church and caused an adjacent building to collapse, adding that many injured people were evacuated to hospital.

Saint Porphyrius is the oldest church still in use in Gaza and is located in Gaza city's historic neighbourhood.

The ancient Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, a significant historical site dating back to 425 AD, has reportedly been struck by Israeli airstrikes. The church bears the name of Saint Porphyrius, the bishop renowned for introducing Christianity to Gaza during his tenure… pic.twitter.com/5aL14EQnYK

— Jehad Abusalim جهاد أبو سليم (@JehadAbusalim) October 19, 2023

The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed its "strongest condemnation" of the Israeli strike at its church compound.

"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 Patriarchate said in a statement.

The church is not far from the Al-Ahli Arab hospital, which was hit by a deadly airstrike on Tuesday, widely reported to be Israel that killed 471. 

Justifying the damage done to the church, the IDF claimed that "Hamas intentionally embeds its assets in civilian areas and uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields".

Gaza has been hit by a relentless, indiscriminate barrage by Israel after a Hamas surprise attack on October 7, which Israel claims killed at least 1,400 people. Israeli bombing since has killed at least 3,785 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.