The historic St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church campus in Gaza City was hit after an Israeli airstrike on Thursday night according to reports.
The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the main Palestinian Christian denomination, said Israeli forces had struck the Church in Gaza City, where hundreds of Christians and Muslims had sought sanctuary.
The Wall Street Journal said that the Israeli military acknowledged that the blast was a result of its airstrike.
The original structure of the church which is named after the former Bishop of Gaza Saint Porphyrius, is said to date back to the 5th century while the main body of the structure is dated to the 12th century A.D.
A spokesperson for the church confirmed it had been hit saying, “The bombs hit the two church halls where the refugees, including children and babies, were sleeping.”
The Holy Order of Saint George the Great Martyr later said that approximately 20-25 people were confirmed dead, at least half of whom are children.
That number of casualties has not been independently confirmed at this time.
One widely shared video showed a Christian who said he was a Christian saying there was no place to go in Gaza.
The statement from St. Porphyrios Orthodox Church says that local Archbishop, Archbishop Alexios, “appears to have been located and is alive” but that it is unknown whether he is injured.
“We have no word on the condition of any other of the more than 500 people being housed at the church and monastery, including the person who has been our source for most of our information.” it said
Palestinian authorities have blamed Israel for targeting the church. The Israeli Defence Forces says that the missiles were targeted at a Hamas control centre and that the strike “damaged the wall of a church in the area,” adding that they are “aware of reports on casualties” and reviewing the incident.
A statement issued on behalf of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the strike said that “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 airstrikes on residential areas over the past thirteen days, constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored.”
It continues that despite the “evident targeting of the facilities and shelters of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and other churches ”the Patriarchate, “along with the other churches, remain committed to fulfilling its religious and moral duty in providing assistance, support, and refuge to those in need, amidst continuous Israeli demands to evacuate these institutions of civilians and the pressures exerted on the churches in this regard.”