The Greek Orthodox church of Saint Porphyrius in the Gaza Strip was hit by an Israeli airstrike in the early hours of Friday morning as hundreds sheltered there against Israeli air raids, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed on Friday.
The blast damaged the church and caused an adjacent building to collapse. On Friday morning local time, Gaza civil defense teams were still working to remove bodies from the rubble. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 16 people were killed. The Wall Street Journal confirmed the account speaking to church officials and witnesses.
A Palestinian Christians shout out to world.”where should we go? They bombed my house, my church, no where left to go!”.
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 19, 2023
Two killed and tens injured at the Greek Orthodox Church in central Gaza, where civilians,Muslims and Christians, were taking shelter. pic.twitter.com/WnlFVsqZFF
The Israel Defense Forces said its warplanes had launched an attack on a Hamas command and control center in Gaza City, which resulted in the hit on the nearby church harboring Palestinians displaced by the ongoing aerial bombardment.
