At least eight people have been killed due to the Israeli bombardment of the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, where many Palestinians, Christians and Muslims, were taking shelter.
Women and children were among those who were killed in the attack on the Church in the al-Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a statement denouncing, in the strongest terms, the Israeli bombing that targeted one of its church buildings in Gaza City.
Wafa cited sources on the ground as saying that the bombing led to the complete collapse of the building of the Council of Church Stewards.
The Patriarchate stressed in its statement that targeting churches and its affiliated institutions, in addition to the shelters they provide to protect innocent citizens, especially children and women who lost their homes as a result of the Israeli bombing of residential areas during the past thirteen days, constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored.
The Patriarchate stressed that it would not abandon its religious and humanitarian duty derived from its Christian values to provide everything necessary in times of war and peace alike.
