Saint Porphyrius Church, a Greek Orthodox church that was sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians was bombed overnight by an Israeli air strike. The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Palestinian health officials confirmed at least 18 deaths as a result of the bombing. The Orthodox church was bombed on October 19, just two days after the Baptist hospital bombing by Israel.
The Greek Orthodox Church, which is the oldest in the city and is situated in the Zaytoun neighborhood, has historically provided refuge to both Christians and Muslims whenever there was an attack from Israel. The church was bombed on Thursday evening (19th October) when one of the four buildings in its compound was severely damaged, which caused the ceiling to collapse, leaving dozens of people trapped beneath the rubble.
Casualties in the Saint Porphyrius Church bombing
Ibrahim Al-Souri, a survivor of the Saint Porphyrius Church bombing, said that there were about 200 children, women, the elderly, and sick people taking shelter at the church at the time of the bombing. The Israeli warplanes targeted the building with two raids. He also added, “We thought we would be protected by the church, but unfortunately, the brutal Israeli occupation does not differentiate. They have targeted churches, mosques, and hospitals. There is no safe place.”
The building that collapsed was a part of the church’s compound, according to Father Issa Musleh of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Bethlehem. Dozens of victims were trapped under the debris as the rescue operation went on Friday.
One lady was seen waiting for her three children to be pulled out of the rubble. An Orthodox Christian moved to Saint Porphyrius Church when the war began, thinking it would be safe. Israeli officials warned the civilians of Gaza to move south as it continued its brutal attacks. Despite the warnings from Israel, he stayed in the church because the south was being bombed regardless. Fearing that he would be a target while moving, he decided to stay within the church.
Response of the Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Patriarchate condemns the strike and states “This is a war crime”. The Patriarchate is still committed to providing shelter to the displaced. Another statement by the Orthodox Patriarchate reads “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 air strikes on residential areas over the past 13 days, constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored”
A statement from IDF stated that the air strike targeted a command and control center that was responsible for launching rockets and mortars toward Israel. “As a result of the strike (Israeli air strike), a wall of a church in the area was damaged.” The statement also added “We are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review.”
The ancient Saint Porphyrius Church
The ancient Saint Porphyrius Church was one of the oldest standing churches in the world. The original structure of the church was built in the fifth century and the current building was constructed in 1100. The inside of the church walls were built with ancient limestone.
Saint Porphyrius Church was a sacred place for Christians and held the symbol of Saint Porphyrius. Porphyrius was a bishop of Gaza from 395 to 420 known for introducing Christianity to Gaza.
Photos and videos of the Saint Porphyrius Church bombing show people, including women, children, and the elderly being rushed to the hospital. It also shows the damage of the air strike on the building, whose first floor completely collapsed due to the strike.
On October 20th, it was confirmed that at least 4,137 Palestinians have lost their lives due to the Israeli heavy bombardment since the war began on the 7th of October. Among those, 1,524 children also lost their lives.