Mosques, churches not spared in the zionist aggression
The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip has destroyed 17 mosques and one of three churches in the Strip over 13 days of aerial and artillery attacks, which is described as a 'genocidal war.'
Although it is not the first time that Israel had targeted mosques with shelling and destruction, this time has been the most severe, sparing neither churches, schools, hospitals, nor residential neighborhoods.
Israeli warplanes destroyed the main building of the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, as well as the headquarters of the radio station of the Ministry in the 14-story “Palestine Tower,” which has now become a mere memory.
18 people who had sought refuge in the church during the aggression lost their lives, and there are still 15 missing individuals under the rubble.
According to the documentation of the Ministry of Awqaf, the Israeli war machine completely destroyed three mosques and caused partial damage to around 40 mosques during the “Sword of Jerusalem” battle in 2021. It also completely and partially destroyed nearly 110 mosques during the “Protective Edge” campaign in the Israeli aggression of 2014.
The President of the Association of Palestinian Scholars, Mustafa Shawer, emphasized that “the enemy is bankrupt and cowardly. Today in Gaza, it is unable to confront men on the ground and is only launching aerial raids. It has vented its anger on our infrastructure.”
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that the Israeli occupation has targeted mosques with shelling and destruction, but this time has been the most severe.
Destruction of one of the world’s oldest churches
On Thursday evening 19/10/2023, Israeli warplanes bombed the Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest church in the Gaza Strip, belonging to the Orthodox community. According to a statement issued by the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, it is considered one of the world’s oldest churches and was built in the 5th century AD.
Dozens of Christians and Muslims who had taken refuge in the church, located in the heart of the old town of Gaza City, were injured. The church provided protection for the residents of the Zaitun neighborhood in the adjacent area. It housed over 500 Gazans who had sought refuge in the two-story church building after evacuating their destroyed homes.
The Church of Saint Porphyrius suffered damage when a building and cemetery affiliated with the church were shelled. Other churches were also targeted, such as the Gaza Baptist Church, which suffered extensive damage due to the shelling of a police station near the church at the time.
During the current aggression, the same church adjacent to the Baptist Hospital was damaged, while buildings attached to the Latin Church of Gaza were also damaged during the 2014 aggression.
In Gaza, there are three churches in the old town of Gaza City: the Church of Saint Porphyrius, affiliated with the Orthodox Church; the Holy Family Church for Latin (Gaza), affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church; and the Evangelical Baptist Church, a Protestant church.
