Israel-Hamas war: Many feared dead after explosion rocks one of world's oldest churches in Gaza city
Israel-Hamas war: Greek Orthodox church in Gaza city
An explosion was reported at a building on the premises of the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church campus in Gaza City on Thursday (Oct 19) night. The church is one of the oldest in the world.
A person seeking refuge at the church told the Wall Street Journal that about 500 people were sheltering on the church campus, including 80 in the church council where the explosion reportedly occurred.
The rescuers were reportedly pulling people out of the rubble, many of whom were critically injured.
Meanwhile, the Hamas-controlled interior ministry said that several displaced people who had taken shelter at a church compound were killed and injured after an Israeli strike late Thursday.
The Israeli military told media agencies that it was looking into the incident.
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Also watch |Israel-Hamas war: New details emerge on Gaza hospital blast | Gravitas
The strike left a "large number of martyrs and injured" at the compound of a Greek Orthodox church, the Hamas-controlled interior ministry said.
Witnesses cited by the AFP said that the strike appeared to have been aimed at a target close to the place of worship where many Gaza residents had taken refuge.
(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.)
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