The death toll after the bombing of Gaza’s oldest church rises to eight. The church of St. Porphyrius has provided shelter to Christians and Muslim Palestinians since the start of Israel’s raids and has always opened its doors to those in need in hard-hit Gaza.
The media and social media have reported 40 deaths without any official confirmation. However, it is understood that there are missing persons in the rubble, as around 400 people had taken refuge in the church.
People who survived speak of a war crime, noting that churches cannot be targeted, while the Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement that “The targeting of churches and their institutions, along with the shelters they offer to protect innocent civilians, especially children, and women who lost their homes due to Israeli bombing of residential areas over the past 13 days, constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored”.
St. Porphyrius, built between the 1150s and 1160s and named after the 5th-century bishop of Gaza, provided comfort to generations of Palestinians in Gaza.