Israel bombs ancient holy sites sheltering civilians

[yankeedoodle]

Israel bombs ancient holy sites sheltering civilians
These indiscriminate strikes on Palestinian holy sites come just days after the Israeli air force killed hundreds at a hospital in Gaza
https://new.thecradle.co/articles/israel-bombs-ancient-holy-sites-sheltering-civilians

Israel targeted and destroyed the 7th century Al-Omari Mosque in Gaza on 20 October, coming just hours after its targeting of the third oldest church in the world in Gaza's Old City.

https://twitter.com/no_itsmyturn/status/1715267001646493859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1715267001646493859%7Ctwgr%5Ec03eab9e43baee747a4a28f018bdae24255f1af0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnew.thecradle.co%2Farticles%2Fisrael-bombs-ancient-holy-sites-sheltering-civilians

Originally a 5th century Byzantine church, it was converted to a mosque during the early years of the Rashidun Caliphate.

The 1,400-year-old structure was among the largest mosques in Palestine. This is one of many mosques targeted by Israel.

https://twitter.com/TheQuranicPath/status/1715263938978554220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1715263938978554220%7Ctwgr%5Ec03eab9e43baee747a4a28f018bdae24255f1af0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnew.thecradle.co%2Farticles%2Fisrael-bombs-ancient-holy-sites-sheltering-civilians

The night before, Israeli warplanes bombed the centuries-old Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrios in Gaza, leaving several people dead and injured, officials said. 

https://twitter.com/AlanRMacLeod/status/1715128417736110358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1715128417736110358%7Ctwgr%5Ec03eab9e43baee747a4a28f018bdae24255f1af0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnew.thecradle.co%2Farticles%2Fisrael-bombs-ancient-holy-sites-sheltering-civilians

The Ministry of Interior in Gaza announced that Israel launched an airstrike on the church, where hundreds of displaced Gazans, both Christians and Muslims, were seeking shelter, resulting in a "large number of martyrs and injured." The number of dead and wounded has yet to be confirmed.

Director General of Al-Shifa Hospital, Mohammad Abu Selmia, said that dozens have been wounded, but could not give an exact toll.

"We have just received confirmation from multiple sources in Gaza that Saint Porphyrios Orthodox Church has been bombed today. Archbishop Alexios appears to have been located and is alive, but we don't know if he is injured," the Foreign Relations Office of the Order of Saint George said in a statement.

"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," the statement added.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchy of Jerusalem also released a statement vowing to "not abandon its religious and humanitarian duty."

The attack came without warning, a survivor told Al-Jazeera's Arabic service. Witnesses told AFP that Israeli jets struck a target close to the medieval structure.

The Israeli army said in a statement: "As a result of the IDF [Israeli army] strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged ... we are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review."

The Church of Saint Porphyrius was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, although the original site dates back to the 5th century.

These atrocities come just three days after Israel's bombing of the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza, which killed hundreds of innocent civilians in a matter of seconds.

Israel continues to blatantly carry out war crimes in Gaza. With its incessant targeting of civilian infrastructure and the shocking language used by Israeli officials regarding the population of Gaza, Israel is openly carrying out genocide.

Israeli Knesset Member Zvika Vogel said on 19 October that "there is no such thing as innocents in Gaza." His comments were the latest of a series of murderous statements made recently by Israeli officials, including Israel's defense minister, who referred to Gazans as "human animals."

[yankeedoodle]

Ex-US congressman says relatives killed in Gaza strike
Justin Amash has revealed that he lost family members at the St. Porphyrius Church
https://www.rt.com/news/585451-congressman-amash-gaza-church/

Former Michigan congressman Justin Amash announced on Friday that his relatives were among those killed at the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza City, when its meeting hall was hit by Israeli bombs.

"With great sadness, I have now confirmed that several of my relatives (including Viola and Yara pictured here) were killed at Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had been sheltering," Amash said on X (formerly Twitter), posting a photo of the two women.

https://twitter.com/justinamash/status/1715470077196194068

"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," the former congressman added.

Amash was born in the US to Palestinian and Syrian Christian parents. He represented Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2021. He had commented on the bombing of St. Porphyrius on Thursday evening, correctly stating that the ancient church had been "damaged from a blast."

According to Archbishop Tiberias Alexios of the Greek Orthodox Church, the bombs struck the buildings adjacent to St. Porphyrios, where the church offices, monastery and the meeting hall were located. The buildings collapsed from the damage, burying some of the 400 people sheltering inside. Funerals for 16 people killed in the attack were held on Friday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initially did not comment on the bombing, but released a statement late on Thursday saying it had successfully targeted "the command and control center belonging to a Hamas terrorist, involved in the launching of rockets and mortars toward Israel."

"As a result of the IDF strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged. We are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review," the statement added.

St. Porphyrius was originally built in the 5th century and named after the local bishop. The present structure was erected in the mid-1100s, during the Crusades, and renovated in the 1800s. Located in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza, it is the oldest active church in the city.