<p class="ingestion featured-caption">Young altar servers take part in the Orthodox Christmas mass at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City on January 7, 2023.MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>The Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza is one of the oldest churches in the world.</li><li>The church compound was hit by Israeli airstrikes on October 19, killing at least 18 people.</li></ul><p>The Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, Gaza, is among the oldest churches in the world.</p><p>Airs trikes carried out by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/army-autistic-people-israel-idf-calling-up-military-conscription-2023-1">Israel Defense Forces</a> on October 19 damaged part of the church complex and killed 18 people, according to the <a href="https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/blog/2023/10/22/his-beatitude-theophilos-iii-holds-a-memorial-service-for-the-gaza-war-victims/">Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem</a>, which owns and oversees the church. </p><p>In a statement to Insider, the IDF confirmed that it was behind the strike, which was aimed at a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-hamas-2023-10">Hamas</a> command center, and said the incident was "under review."</p><p>"The IDF can unequivocally state that the Church was not the target of the strike," the IDF statement said.</p><p>The escalating violence in the region follows the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-hamas-chose-attack-israel-now-after-decades-conflict-gaza-2023-10">worst terror attack in Israel's history</a> on October 7. Hamas militants have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hamas-gaza-militants-ate-lunch-tortured-mutilated-young-family-2023-10">brutally killed</a> at least 1,400 people, injured around 5,431, and taken <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hamas-offered-10k-apartment-israel-hostages-captured-militant-video-israel-2023-10">at least 200 hostages</a>, including a number of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-israeli-women-children-seniors-taken-hostage-hamas-in-gaza-2023-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women, children, and elderly people</a>, who remain in Gaza, the United Nations reported, citing data from Israeli authorities. Some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-capture-moments-elderly-israeli-women-were-released-by-hamas-2023-10">hostages have since been released</a>.</p><p>Israel <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-declares-state-of-war-hamas-launches-massive-surprise-attack-2023-10">declared war on Hamas</a>, launching a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-gaza-devastation-israel-counterattack-2023-10" rel>counterattack</a> in which at least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed and 9,600 more have been injured in airstrikes in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run <a href="https://ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-17">Gaza Ministry of Health</a>.</p><p>Take a look at the historic church before and after the airstrikes.</p>