Photos show Gaza's Church of Saint Porphyrius, one of the oldest churches in the world, after the complex was damaged by Israeli airstrikes
Talia Lakritz,Reem Makhoul
- The Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza is one of the oldest churches in the world.
- The church compound was hit by Israeli airstrikes on October 19, killing at least 18 people.
The Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, Gaza, is among the oldest churches in the world.
Airs trikes carried out by the Israel Defense Forces on October 19 damaged part of the church complex and killed 18 people, according to the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which owns and oversees the church.
In a statement to Insider, the IDF confirmed that it was behind the strike, which was aimed at a Hamas command center, and said the incident was "under review."
"The IDF can unequivocally state that the Church was not the target of the strike," the IDF statement said.
The escalating violence in the region follows the worst terror attack in Israel's history on October 7. Hamas militants have brutally killed at least 1,400 people, injured around 5,431, and taken at least 200 hostages, including a number of women, children, and elderly people, who remain in Gaza, the United Nations reported, citing data from Israeli authorities. Some hostages have since been released.
Israel declared war on Hamas, launching a counterattack 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 Gaza Ministry of Health.
Take a look at the historic church before and after the airstrikes.
The Church of Saint Porphyrius, located in Gaza City, Gaza, is thought to be the third-oldest church in the world.
According to the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the church dates back to the 5th century. It then became a mosque in the 7th century until a new church was constructed by Crusaders in the 12th century, making the current building at least 1,616 years old.
The Greek Orthodox church is named after the Bishop of Gaza, who lived from around 347 to 420.
According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, Saint Porphyrius was ordained in 392 and became the Bishop of Gaza in 395.
Christians are a small minority in Gaza.
Out of the 2 million people living in Gaza, around 1,300 are Christians, according to a 2022 State Department report. A majority of Palestinian Christians are Greek Orthodox.
The church's ornate chapel features iconography of various saints.
The church's thick limestone walls keep the chapel cool in the summer and warm in the winter, Al Arabiya reported.
In addition to the chapel, the church complex features seven buildings and a courtyard.
In past years, local children have dressed up as Santa Claus to distribute gifts in the church courtyard on Christmas.
The church has hosted Hamas leaders such as Ismail Haniyeh, head of the organization's political bureau.
Hamas, the Palestinian political and military organization that governs the Gaza Strip, has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States since 1997.
An Israeli airstrike on October 19 damaged part of the church complex and killed at least 18 people, according to the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Former Rep. Justin Amash, who served as the US representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2021, said that several of his relatives were killed in the airstrikes.
"The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much. Our family is hurting badly. May God watch over all Christians in Gaza — and all Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, whatever their religion or creed," Amash wrote.
Debris littered the grounds of the church as search-and-rescue teams looked for survivors.
Around 450 people had taken shelter on the grounds of the church when it was hit, according to the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
The church's chapel was not hit and remains intact, The New York Times reported.
The Jerusalem Patriarchate condemned the airstrikes in a statement calling them a "war crime."
"The Patriarchate emphasizes 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," the statement read.
The Israel Defense Forces claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it was aimed at a Hamas command center.
In a statement to Insider, the IDF confirmed that "a wall of a church in the area" was damaged after IDF fighter jets struck a "command and control center belonging to a Hamas terrorist involved in the launching of rockets and mortars toward Israel."
The IDF also said the church was not the target of the strike, adding that "Hamas intentionally embeds its assets in civilian areas and uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields."
"We are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review," the statement read.
On Sunday, Saint Porphyrius Church held a memorial service for victims of the strike, as well as those who have died in airstrikes throughout Gaza.
"We appeal to you to awaken the longing for a peaceful life in all those who are filled with hatred for their neighbours, especially those now at war or preparing for war," Patriarch of Jerusalem H.B. Theophilos III said in a statement.
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