Israel Warns Greek Church in Gaza to Evacuate, Strikes Planned

Israel’s stepped-up campaign in the Gaza Strip during a continued invasion to wipe out Hamas terrorists could bring strikes in an area including the Greek Orthodox Church of St Porphyrius and its compound, which were ordered to evacuate.

That was a warning ahead of a major offensive by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the Times of Israel has reported, despite growing international criticism after a hospital was bombed twice, killing four journalists among others.

According to an evacuation map posted on the IDF’s Arabic website and published by the Israeli paper, the compound sits in a designated red zone.

In contrast, the nearby Catholic Church of the Holy Family, another major Christian site in Gaza City, has not received an evacuation order, while the Anglican St Philip’s Church, located within the Al-Ahli Arab Anglican Hospital compound, also lies inside an evacuation zone.

Israel is preparing a mass evacuation of Gaza City ahead of an expected military offensive against Hamas. Hundreds of civilians – including elderly residents, women, children and people with disabilities – are currently sheltering in the church compounds, the reports said.

Earlier, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the escalation of the conflict and said clergy and nuns insist on remaining in Gaza City, as fleeing “would be nothing less than a death sentence.”

The Protecting Holy Land Christians group added that bombings near the churches have been “nonstop,” putting more lives at risk with the death toll already surpassing 61,000 and Israel escalating the violence.

The Patriarchates said that the Greek Orthodox compound of Saint Porphyrius and the Holy Family Church compound have been a refuge for hundreds of civilians since the outbreak of war in October 2023, among them elderly people, women, and children, as well as disabled Gazans.

“Among those who have sought shelter within the walls of the compounds, many are weakened and malnourished due to the hardships of the last months … the clergy and nuns have decided to remain and continue to care for all those who will be in the compounds,” they said.

They also criticized Israel’s announced offensive, saying “there can be no future based on captivity, displacement of Palestinians or revenge.”

“We echo what Pope Leo XIV said a few days ago: ‘All peoples, even the smallest and weakest, must be respected by the powerful in their identity and rights, especially the right to live in their own lands; and no one can force them into exile.’ This is not the right way. There is no reason to justify the deliberate and forcible mass displacement of civilians,” they added.

THE NATIONAL HERALD

Photo: The Greek Orthodox Church of St Porphyrius, Gaza. Photo: ROMFEA.GR