by Brian Shilhavy, Health Impact News:
It was widely reported this week in both the U.S. Corporate Media as well as in non-Western media sources, that Gaza’s oldest Christian Church was bombed leaving many people dead, including children.
Ibrahim Jahsan’s young family has been sheltering at the Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City since the war began.
One of Gaza’s 1,000 Christians, Jahsan never doubted the church was a safe space for him, his pregnant wife and two children aged five and six. The Greek Orthodox church – the oldest in the city, located in the Zaytoun neighbourhood – has traditionally served as a sanctuary for both Christians and Muslims during Israel’s periodic wars against Gaza.
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The church was sheltering hundreds of people when an Israeli bomb severely damaged one of the four buildings in its compound on Thursday evening, causing its ceiling to collapse and leaving dozens trapped under slabs of concrete, according to witnesses.
By Friday afternoon, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem told Al Jazeera at least 18 people were confirmed to have been killed, including several children.
“The building that they bombed is beside the church,” said Jahsan, still shaken from what he says was a massive blast. “We just pray to god to end this war.”
About 200 children, women, elderly and sick people were taking shelter at the church when Israeli warplanes targeted the building with two raids, said Ibrahim Al-Souri, another survivor who had also been taking shelter. (Source.)
Adam McAdams, writing for The Ron Paul Institute, reported that former U.S. Representative Justin Amash had some of his family members killed in this attack. Amash is Palestinian, and was the sole member of the Libertarian Party in Congress.
Former US Rep. Justin Amash (L-MI), who was the only US House Member representing the Libertarian Party, announced today on Twitter/X that several of his relatives were killed when Israel bombed Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza. Amash’s relatives, along with many others, were seeking shelter in the Church as Israel continues to flatten Gaza.
As one commenter on Amash’s thread pointed out, Saint Porphyrius Church “symbolized coexistence. It’s worth noting that this church is located near the Jewish Quarter in Gaza as well.”
Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church is the third oldest existing Christian church in the world, standing very nearly since the time of Christ. Another commenter on Twitter added that “Gaza’s oldest church the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius”…was a refuge for at least 380 civilians. At least 40 have been reported dead and more searches continue among the rubble.”
Earlier this week Israel is accused of bombing al-Shifa hospital in Gaza – the only Christian hospital in the Palestinian enclave – and hundreds have been reported killed in that attack. While Israel has denied responsibility for that bombing, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak told the BBC that Israel was “determined” to destroy the hospital. (Full article.)
I was really worried about this. 😔 With great sadness, I have now confirmed that several of my relatives (including Viola and Yara pictured here) were killed at Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had been sheltering, when part of the complex was destroyed as… pic.twitter.com/w5k1xEeTgF
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) October 20, 2023
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