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5th-century orthodox church struck by IDF bomb in gaza

The missile struck the church of Saint Porphyrius, long used as a sanctuary by both Palestinian Christians and Muslims, and killed 16 people sheltering inside.


By Jake

25 October 2023


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Washington Post journalists were able to confirm the story with geolocation tied to photos of people digging in the rubble for survivors. (Photo credit to Abed Khaled/AP)


The Israeli bombardment of Gaza over the past weeks destroyed part of one of the world's oldest churches. The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, administered by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, has long served a dual purpose as a shelter during past missile wars. As a result, 200 people - many families of both Christian and Muslim faiths - were inside a wing of the church on Friday October 20 when bombs from an IDF warplane collapsed the roof. The resulting loss of life and history in one bloody act underlines the importance of ONE's mission.


The church is located in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City, where it has historically served the few thousand orthodox Christians living among the 2.3 million total population. A statement by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate stated 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 air strikes on residential areas over the past 13 days, constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored." On the other hand, an IDF statement said the air strike had targeted a nearby location involved in launching rockets and mortars towards Israel. The non-direct nature of the strike could support this theory, or shed light on carelessness in targeting. The IDF promised to review the incident, but it is unlikely that the families will receive timely justice.


To frame the tragedy, let us revisit the life of the church's namesake - St. Porphyrius the early Christian bishop of Gaza from 395 to 420 AD. Writings about the saint are vital for our historical understanding of Gaza during the period, as well as the sudden switch of Byzantine Christian power from persecuted to persecutor. Ironically, St. Porphyrius successfully appealed to Constantinople for the destruction of eight temples dedicated to Roman gods. If those temples survived to today, they would likely be amazing archeological sites shedding light on the region's history. It is also worth stating that the limited writing we have about St. Porphyrius presents an undoubtedly biased and limited picture due to similar historical losses of manuscripts. The violence and upheaval in past centuries did not spare our perspectives.


Innocent men, women, and children are dead, buried by rubble. These past weeks have been the worst case scenario for many, and shows no sign of de-escalation. We at ONE continue to decry all acts that end in the death of civilians and loss of our shared cultural heritage. There is hope - faith and community leaders such as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate continue to support all affected people without regard to religion or nationality. It is through the kindness of individuals that innocents and history will be spared.



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