Christians Under OccupationNews

A year has passed since Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza began, and the atrocities continue unabated

Since October 7, 2023, the people of Gaza—Muslims and Christians alike, men, women, children, and the elderly—have endured a horrific Israeli onslaught that has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people. For 365 harrowing nights, Gaza has witnessed some of the most appalling crimes of modern times, unfolding before the eyes of a silent international community, which remains indifferent to the scenes of children’s bodies scattered in the streets and the remains of those killed trapped under the rubble of homes obliterated by Israeli airstrikes.

This war, waged by Israel from land, sea, and air, has reduced Gaza to heaps of rubble and turned its streets and sidewalks into mass graves. The relentless cruelty unleashed by the Israeli military machine has left thousands dead or wounded, countless families displaced, and entire neighborhoods razed.

Even Hospitals and medical facilities have not been spared from this aggression. Many have been directly targeted and forced out of service, while others face crippling shortages of essential supplies, medicines, and equipment. Educational institutions, places of worship, and shelters housing the displaced have also been indiscriminately attacked, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Amid the widespread destruction and displacement, the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine has been closely monitoring the situation in Gaza, and documenting the atrocities impacting the Christian presence. This preliminary report provides an initial assessment of the damage inflicted on Gaza’s Christian community.

Since the genocide began, Palestinian Christian families have sought refuge in St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church and the Holy Family Latin Church, which together are sheltering around 950 forcibly displaced Christians. However, neither church has been spared from Israeli attacks.

On October 19, 2023, an Israeli strike on the Orthodox Church claimed the lives of 17 people, including nine children. Additionally, an Israeli sniper shot a woman and her daughter inside the Latin church, killing them both instantly. Over 20 people have been injured inside the churches, some critically.

Tragedies have also unfolded beyond the church grounds. Elham Farah was killed by an Israeli sniper and left to die on the street, while others, such as Hani Abu Dawoud and Lara Al-Sayegh, died from illness and exhaustion. Since the start of the war, a total of 22 Palestinian Christians have been killed in Gaza.

In terms of martial damage, initial estimates indicate that 65% of homes owned by Christians in Gaza have been completely destroyed, while 20% are rendered uninhabitable due to partial damage. Christian-owned businesses have also been devastated. Three factories have been partially destroyed, eight gold shops partially damaged, and three completely destroyed, along with numerous and private clinics that have yet to be accounted for.

Palestinian church institutions, which serve the entire community regardless of religion, have not escaped the aggression and were severely impacted. Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital (affiliated with the Anglican Church), the Holy Family School, the Rosary Sisters School, and the YMCA have all suffered partial destruction. While the Orthodox Cultural Center has been reduced to rubbles.

The office building of the Middle East Council of Churches has been partially destroyed, and its clinics in the Daraj and Shuja’iyya neighborhoods, as well as the Khirbet Al-Adas clinic in Rafah, have been totally destroyed. The council’s vocational training centers in Gaza City and the Qarara area have also sustained partial damage.

This devastation has touched every aspect of life in Gaza. Students have lost an entire academic year, and over 350 Christians from Gaza have been displaced, fleeing in search of safety and an escape from this nightmare.
What Gaza endures today is yet another dark chapter of injustice and violence, where humanity and the sanctity of life are utterly disregarded. In the face of this widespread destruction—affecting both Muslims and Christians—we must raise our voices against this oppression and cry out for justice and peace.

In these trying times, we find strength in our Christian faith, which calls us to peace and love. We are reminded of the words of Christ: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Christ’s message of peace is not just a sentiment; it is a call to action, an invitation to stand with the oppressed and work to end the violence that kills the innocent and shatters dreams.

We pray for the souls of the martyrs and ask God to grant the people of Gaza resilience, the strength to endure, and the hope to persevere through their suffering. We also pray that God will awaken the hearts of those who have the power to stop this aggression, urging them to act and bring an end to this ongoing tragedy, restoring justice to those who have been wronged.

As we mark the painful anniversary of a year of war, we pledge to continue praying and working relentlessly for justice and peace. We hold onto the hope that one day this darkness will lift, and all will live in freedom and safety.

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