Who is Attacking Christians in Gaza?

📌 Hassan-Nahoum, in response to a question about the attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church, where two people lost their lives, stated, “There is no church in Gaza, and there are no Christians because they were expelled by Hamas.”

➡️ The Christian community in Gaza is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. There is no question of people of different faiths being expelled by Palestinians.

➡️ Since October 7, Israel’s ongoing artillery and air bombardments have targeted historical homes, mosques, churches, libraries, markets, and educational facilities in Gaza. Hassan-Nahoum’s claim is completely false.

The claim made by Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of West Jerusalem, during a radio broadcast, that “Hamas expelled all Christians from the region, there is no church in Gaza,” is not true. On October 19, the oldest church in Gaza, Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, built in 406 AD, was bombed during Israel’s attacks on Gaza. The church’s nave suffered significant damage, and the administrative building was completely destroyed. Twenty Christian Gazans who had taken shelter in the church lost their lives.

In the bombardment of Jabalia, the Byzantine Church built in 444 AD and the Holy Family Catholic Church, founded by Fr. Jean Moretan in 1869, were partially destroyed.

The Baptist Church, established by the Church of England Missionary Society in 1882, was targeted by Israeli bombardment on October 17, causing serious damage to its auxiliary buildings. Hundreds of civilians were killed in the complex, which also houses the National Baptist Hospital.

The 1,600-year-old Ancient Saint Hilarion Monastery, located in the Tell Umm Amer area of the Gaza Strip, was also damaged in Israeli attacks.

Finally, Israeli soldiers killed a Christian woman and her daughter who had taken refuge in the Holy Family Catholic Church. Fifi Saba, whose sister is trapped in the Holy Family Church, stated, “The Israelis are shooting at anything that moves. Those sheltering in the church are even afraid to go to the bathroom because these women were shot while trying to go to the bathroom.”

Israel, which has killed more than 20,000 civilians in the Gaza Strip, is also attempting to destroy Palestine’s cultural heritage.