An explosion was reported at the Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza City on Thursday night, according to both Gaza’s interior ministry and the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The church, one of the oldest in the world, was reportedly sheltering several hundred displaced Palestinians at the time of the blast.
The ministry, which is controlled by the Hamas militant group, was quoted by AFP as saying the explosion left a “large number of martyrs and injured.”
Witnesses at the site told The Wall Street Journal that rescuers were digging through rubble, pulling out people, some of whom had sustained injuries. Majdy Jildah, a refugee at the Greek Orthodox church, said he believed a child had been killed.
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The Palestinian news agency WAFA also reported that a young girl was dead and “many others” injured at the compound. The church’s facade reportedly sustained damage as well, and at least one adjacent building is believed to have collapsed.
In a statement expressing its “strongest condemnation,” the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem attributed the explosion to an Israeli airstrike.
“[T]argeting 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,” the Patriarchate said.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the matter, according to the Journal.
Built in the 12th century, St. Porphyrius is Gaza’s oldest active church, and is located in a historic district, according to AFP. It previously served as a place of refuge for Palestinians during Israeli bombardment in 2014.
Earlier this week, one refugee in the church told Al Jazeera that “coming here saved our lives.”
“During the night, we huddle together,” George Shabeen said, adding: “Muslims and Christians, old and young, and pray for safety and peace.”
The compound lies a short distance from the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, a facility that sustained a direct hit on Tuesday night, the resulting blast killing more than 400 people.
Palestinian authorities have blamed the strike on Israel, while Tel Aviv has said a rocket misfired by another militant group in Gaza, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was responsible. On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden backed Israel’s claim, saying, “It appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group.”
The destruction at St. Porphyrius comes a little under two weeks after Hamas launched a series of terror attacks on Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking hostage more than 150. Israel declared war in response, initiating a total blockage on Gaza and readying its troops for what it has promised will be a full-scale ground assault.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
