“The church was full of peaceful people, only peaceful people … There is nowhere safe in Gaza during this war.”
Hit by two Israeli attacks since the start of the bombardment of Gaza, The Church of Saint Porphyrius, is the third-oldest church in the world.
The Church of Saint Porphyrius is a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, State of Palestine. It belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is the oldest active church in the city. Located in the Zaytun Quarter of the Old City of Gaza, it is named after the 5th-century bishop of Gaza, Saint Porphyrius, whose tomb is situated in the northeastern corner of the church.
In the 5thC AD a church was first built on the site, converted to a Mosque, and then during the Crusades in the 12thC a church was again built on the site.
For Orkney readers, to set this church in its historical context, its present 12thC building was being constructed during the same period of Christian expansion as St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
The church is rectangular in shape, with a half-domed roofed temple. Its pavement 1.8 meters (5.9 ft) below ground level in its southern part, and 3 meters (9.8 ft) below ground level at the northern end, suggesting that the present building was built on the top of an older building.
On 19th October 2023 it was hit by an Israeli airstrike. At the time over 450 Christian and Muslim Palestinians had been sheltering there in the belief that a Holy Church would be a safe place. Eighteen people were killed, including a baby of 6 months, and many more injured. Among those killed was photographer and archivist Marwan Tarazi, custodian of Kegham Djeghalian‘s 20th-century photography studio archive. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem strongly denounced the attack as a war crime and accused the Israeli military of targeting churches and civilian shelters.
Fr Gabriel Romanelli, Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church, Gaza commented on the attack and its aftermath to The Friends of the Holy Land, a non-political Christian Charity:
“On Thursday night, one of the buildings of the St. Porphyrius Parish Church in Gaza, belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church, was destroyed. Falling on the hundreds of parishioners who these days sought refuge there. It was at dusk. No light. People were trying to sleep. The fatalities are many: 18 so far and many injured, some seriously and there are about ten people still under the rubble.”
Ramez al-Sury, who lost his three children and ten other relatives in the attack, told Amnesty International:
“My heart died with my children that evening. All my children were killed: Majid, 11, Julie, 12, and Suhail, 14. I have nothing left. I should have died with my children. I left them only two minutes earlier. My sister called me to go downstairs to the basement to help my father [who is] bedridden since he had a stroke … my children stayed in the room with my cousins and their wives and children. That is when the strike happened and killed everyone. We left our homes and came to stay at the church because we thought we would be protected here. We have nowhere else to go … The church was full of peaceful people, only peaceful people … There is nowhere safe in Gaza during this war.”
Condemning that attack, The Vatican News reported that “At least 17 Christians, including 10 from one family” and that “Several other people reportedly remained trapped under the debris.”
“According to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), among the victims are several young Christians who were part of the “Employment Generation Project” for Christian youth, run by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
“The building is located a few hundred metres from the Holy Family Catholic Church, where a further 500 Christians are sheltering.”
In a strongly-worded statement, the Greek Greek Orthodox Patriarchate condemned the strike.
A statement released 19 October 2023 stressed 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 World Council of Churches (WCC) has also strongly condemned the attack.
“We condemn this unconscionable attack on a sacred compound and call upon the world community to enforce protections in Gaza for sanctuaries of refuge, including hospitals, schools, and houses of worship,” said the WCC general secretary Rev. Jerry Pillay. “Our prayers go out for healing to all those wounded, along with our condolences to Patriarch Theophilos II and all our Greek Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ.”
In a second attack on 29 July 2024, an Israeli missile aimed at the Church, causing damage, but failed to detonate. Three people were wounded. The World Council of Churches issued the following statement following this second attack:
“It is with profound sorrow and deep concern that we have received the news of the attack on St Porphyrius Church in northern Gaza, resulting in injuries to several individuals.
“Once again, this sacred site, space of refuge for civilians, has become a scene of tragedy, pain, and despair.” The statement called for an immediate ceasefire and a sustainable and just resolution.
“We stand in solidarity with all those affected by this tragedy and pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
“We unequivocally condemn these attacks on civilians. “
The Art Newspaper said that “The church is an important site for Christians in the Gaza Strip, who make up an estimated 1,000 people—most of them Greek Orthodox—of the enclave’s total population of 2.3 million. “
This is part of a series of articles on the destruction of ancient sites and artefacts in Gaza since October 2023.
Fiona Grahame
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