A woman and a girl were martyred and dozens of civilians were injured, on the evening of Thursday, October 19, 2023, as a result of a “new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation forces” by targeting the Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, which was sheltering hundreds of people displaced from their homes as a result of the barbaric bombing that has continued since October 7. .

The official Palestinian News Agency, Wafa, said that a girl and a woman were killed, and dozens of citizens were injured, in the Israeli air strike on the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Pophilius in Gaza, where hundreds of displaced people took refuge.

Wafa pointed out that "the occupation aircraft bombed the Church of St. Pophilius in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in southern Gaza, which led to severe material damage to parts of the church building, and a building next to it was destroyed."

The agency quoted local sources as saying that the bombing led to the complete collapse of the building of the Council of Church Stewards, which housed a number of Palestinian families, both Christian and Muslim, who took refuge in the church in search of a “safe place.”

The agency also pointed out that "martyrs and wounded are still under the rubble, and rescue and ambulance crews are trying to reach them."

On Thursday evening, the Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip announced the killing and wounding of “large numbers” of civilians as a result of “a new massacre committed by Israeli forces” against hundreds of displaced people inside the church.

The ministry said, in a brief statement on Telegram: “A new massacre committed by the occupation against hundreds of displaced people inside the Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, and large numbers (without specifying a number) of martyrs and wounded.”