An Israeli airstrike struck the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza, an Orthodox parish dedicated in 1150 on the site of a fifth-century church.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed “its strongest condemnation of the Israeli air strike,” in which more than a dozen people were killed.
“As a result of the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged,” the IDF stated. “We are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review.”
The Israeli military added that it was targeting a nearby Hamas command center.