At least 18 Christians were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in northern Gaza, which shelters over 500 people.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that during the overnight attack on Thursday, Oct. 19, their fighter jets were targeting an alleged command and control center used by Hamas to launch rockets and mortars toward Israel.
The airstrike supposedly successfully targeted the Hamas control center but also damaged the facade of the Saint Porphyrius Church, which has been active since the fifth century, leading to the collapse of an adjacent building.
"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 military stated. "The IDF can unequivocally state that the Church was not the target of the strike."
Despite the IDF's statement, witnesses on the ground in Gaza have noted the extensive damage inside the church. In a statement, the Palestinian Churches Council warned that the massive damage "shows that the targets of the Israeli occupation are the unarmed people, children, women and the elderly.
The Church of Saint Porphyrius was originally founded in approximately 425 A.D. and the saint who bears the church's name is considered one of the first bishops for the Christian community of Gaza. Crusaders in the 12th century constructed the current church and its last significant period of renovation was around the mid-19th century.
Today, the Church of Saint Porphyrius is one of three churches in the Gaza Strip – the other two being the Gaza Baptist Church and the Holy Family Catholic Church. These churches serve as places of worship for Gaza's Christian community of approximately 1,500 people.
Israeli strikes against Gaza have killed over 5,000 Palestinian civilians
Notable among those killed in the airstrike are at least two family members of former United States Rep. Justin Amash. Amash, a Republican-turned-independent whose father is a Palestinian Christian, reported that several members of his extended family were sheltering at the church "when part of the complex was destroyed as the result of an Israeli airstrike."
"The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much," he wrote. "Our family is hurting badly. May God watch over all Christians in Gaza – and all Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, whatever their religion or creed."
Israeli retaliation against Hamas has led to the deaths of more than 5,000 people since Oct. 7. (Related: Israel has already attacked hospitals and health care facilities in Gaza 51 times, says "horrified" United Nations.)
"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," said the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in a strongly worded statement condemning the attack.
Visit WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Watch this TruNews segment where Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart talk about the Hamas attack and Israel's retaliation.
This video is from the TruNews channel on Brighteon.com.
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