Church of Saint Porphyrius airstrike

{{Short description|2023 bombing of a church in Gaza City, Palestine}}

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = Church of Saint Porphyrius airstrike

| image = Saint Porphyrius Church, Gaza City.jpg

| caption = Saint Porphyrius Church in 2022, before the Israeli airstrike

| map = {{location map

| Israel gaza

| lat_deg = 31.5033

| lon_deg = 34.4621

| label = Church

| label_size = 100

|caption=

| float = center

}}

|map_caption=Location within the Gaza Strip

| partof = the Gaza war

| location = Gaza City, Gaza Strip

| target = Building adjacent to the Church of Saint Porphyrius

| date = 19 October 2023

| time =

| timezone =

| type = Airstrike

| fatalities = 18 Palestinian civilians

| injuries = Several

| perps = {{flagicon image|Air_Force_Ensign_of_Israel.svg}} Israeli Air Force

}}

On 19 October 2023, part of the Church of Saint Porphyrius, a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, in the Gaza Strip, was damaged during an Israeli aistrike, killing at least 18 Palestinian civilians during the Gaza war. Over 450 Christian and Muslim Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip had been sheltering there.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the explosion resulted from one of its airstrikes, which had targeted a nearby Hamas command post.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Background

The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius is located in the Zaytun Quarter of Gaza's Old City, and houses the tomb of Saint Porphyrius who was a bishop in Gaza from 395 to 420.{{Cite web |last=Ditmars |first=Hadani |date=20 October 2023 |title=Historic Greek Orthodox church in Gaza hit by deadly missile strikes|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/10/20/third-oldest-church-in-the-world-struck-by-missiles-in-gaza |access-date=22 October 2023 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events |archive-date=23 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023193556/https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/10/20/third-oldest-church-in-the-world-struck-by-missiles-in-gaza |url-status=live }} The church was also damaged during the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip in July 2014, in which its water tanks were destroyed and a neighboring home was damaged by IDF tank shells. During the shelling in 2014, the church had been offering refuge to Gaza citizens and had held Ramadan prayers in the courtyard. According to CBN News that same year, Greek Orthodox Archbishop Alexios had said off-camera that Hamas had used Church grounds to fire rockets.{{Cite web |last=Harkov |first=Lahav |date=7 August 2014 |title=Foreign press gives mixed accounts of Hamas intimidation in Gaza |url=https://www.jpost.com/operation-protective-edge/foreign-press-gives-mixed-accounts-of-hamas-intimidation-in-gaza-370365 |access-date=23 November 2023 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en-US}}{{Cite interview |last=Moschonas |first=Alexios |interviewer=George Thomas |title=Gaza Bishop: Hamas Used Church to Fire Rockets |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb8BeCfZAko |date=6 August 2014}}

Saint Porphyrius is less than {{Convert|300|m}} from the al-Ahli Arab hospital compound where an explosion killed and injured hundreds of people who had fled there to escape Israeli airstrikes.{{Cite news |last=Vargas |first=Ramon Antonio |date=21 October 2023 |title=Former US congressman says family members killed in Gaza church blast |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/21/justin-amash-family-members-killed-gaza-church |access-date=30 October 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}

Airstrike

Palestinian officials stated that at least 500 Muslims and Christians had been sheltering in the church from IDF bombardments.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/orthodox-church-says-it-was-hit-by-israeli-air-strike-gaza-2023-10-20/ | title=Orthodox church says it was hit by Israeli air strike in Gaza | newspaper=Reuters | date=20 October 2023 | last1=Al-Mughrabi | first1=Nidal | access-date=20 October 2023 | archive-date=20 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020094732/https://www.reuters.com/world/orthodox-church-says-it-was-hit-by-israeli-air-strike-gaza-2023-10-20/ | url-status=live }} A member of the community indicated that about 100 people had been sheltering in the two story building hit by the strike, with about 400 spread across the entire complex.{{Cite news|last1=Berger|first1=Miriam|last2=Hill|first2=Evan|last3=Ables|first3=Kelsey|date=20 October 2023 |title=Historic church sheltering civilians struck in deadly Gaza City blast|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/20/gaza-church-strike-saint-porphyrius/ |access-date=22 October 2023|newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=20 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020132651/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/20/gaza-church-strike-saint-porphyrius/ |url-status=live }} In an initial statement, the IDF stated that Israeli fighter jets had hit a nearby command and control centre that was being used by Hamas to attack Israel. The IDF acknowledged damage to the church and reports of casualties resulting from the strike.

The airstrike caused damage to the church's exterior and led to the collapse of an adjacent building belonging to the church complex.{{cite web |title='War crime': Israel bombs Gaza church sheltering displaced people|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/20/war-crime-israel-bombs-gaza-church-sheltering-displaced-people |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020074616/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/20/war-crime-israel-bombs-gaza-church-sheltering-displaced-people |archive-date=20 October 2023 |access-date=20 October 2023 |website=Al Jazeera}}

The neighboring Katib al-Wilaya Mosque also sustained damage as a result of the airstrike.{{Cite web |last=Saber |first=Indlieb Farazi |title=A 'cultural genocide': Which of Gaza's heritage sites have been destroyed? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/14/a-cultural-genocide-which-of-gazas-heritage-sites-have-been-destroyed |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}

Video footage from the church after the airstrike was published and appeared to show a young wounded boy being carried from the rubble. Another video published shows people searching through the rubble of the building.

Casualties

At least 18 Palestinian civilians were killed in the airstrike.{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/11/israel-opt-nowhere-safe-in-gaza-unlawful-israeli-strikes-illustrate-callous-disregard-for-palestinian-lives/|title=Israel/OPT: 'Nowhere safe in Gaza': Unlawful Israeli strikes illustrate callous disregard for Palestinian lives|work=Amnesty International|accessdate=1 December 2023|date=20 November 2023}}{{Cite web| last1=Gostoli| first1=Ylenia |last2=Abu Riash |first2=Abdelhakim|title='We were baptised here and we will die here': Gaza's oldest church bombed|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/10/20/we-were-baptised-here-and-we-will-die-here-gazas-oldest-church-bombed |access-date=28 October 2023 |website=Al Jazeera English|language=en}} A civil defense worker reported that those on the lower floors had been killed, while most of the survivors had been on the upper floors. Several injured Palestinians were transported to the hospital.{{cite web|url=https://www.newarab.com/news/several-dead-and-injured-israeli-strike-church-gaza | title=Several dead and injured by Israeli strike at church in Gaza | date=20 October 2023 | website=The New Arab | access-date=20 October 2023 | archive-date=21 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021004840/https://www.newarab.com/news/several-dead-and-injured-israeli-strike-church-gaza | url-status=live }} Among those killed was photographer and archivist Marwan Tarazi, custodian of Kegham Djeghalian's 20th-century photography studio archive.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/27/palestinian-protest-music/|title=Songs of grief and defiance fuel Arab solidarity for Palestinians|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Hannah|last=Allam|date=27 December 2023|accessdate=29 January 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://arablit.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/English-.pdf|title=The Second Preliminary Report on the Cultural Sector Damage|website=Arab Lit|author=Atef Abu Saif|date=2023|accessdate=29 January 2024}}

Reactions

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem strongly denounced the attack as a war crime and accused the Israeli military of targeting churches and civilian shelters. Amnesty International called on the attack to be investigated as a possible war crime.{{cite news |title=Israel/OPT: detailed investigation into two Israeli attacks in Gaza shows mass killing of civilians |url=https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/israelopt-detailed-investigation-two-israeli-attacks-gaza-shows-mass-killing |access-date=21 April 2024}}

Former U.S. Congressman Justin Amash announced that several of his relatives were killed in the airstrike.{{Cite web |last=Kesslen |first=Ben |date=20 October 2023 |title=Former Congressman Reveals 'Several' Family Members Killed in Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Orthodox Church|url=https://themessenger.com/news/palestinian-christians-killed-gaza-israel-airstrike-justin-amash |access-date=20 October 2023 |website=The Messenger |language=en |archive-date=21 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021004840/https://themessenger.com/news/palestinian-christians-killed-gaza-israel-airstrike-justin-amash |url-status=dead }}

Pope Francis mentioned the strike in a call for an end to the fighting, humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza, and the release of the hostages held by Hamas.{{cite web|url=https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2023/10/22/pope-francis-israel-gaza-angelus-246351|title=Pope Francis pleads with Israelis and Palestinians: 'Stop, stop' the war.|last=O'Connell|first=Gerard|date=22 October 2023|accessdate=23 October 2023|work=America|archive-date=22 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022233419/https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2023/10/22/pope-francis-israel-gaza-angelus-246351|url-status=live}}