Israel air attack at a church in Gaza killed and injured large number of people

Saint Porphyrius, built in about 1150, is the oldest church still in use in Gaza...

An Israeli air attack has killed and injured a “large number” of displaced people sheltering at a church compound in Gaza, according to the besieged Palestinian enclave’s interior ministry.

The strike left a “large number of martyrs and injured” at the compound of the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, the ministry said on Thursday night.

Witnesses told that the air raid appeared to have been aimed at a target close to the 12th-century place of worship where many Christian and Muslim Gaza residents had taken refuge as the war raged in the enclave.

The Israeli military told that its fighter jets had hit a command and control centre involved in launching rockets and mortars towards Israel.

“As a result of the IDF [Israeli army] strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged,” it said, adding “we are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review.”

Witnesses confess that attack damaged the facade of the church and caused an adjacent building to collapse, adding that many injured people were evacuated to hospital

Saint Porphyrius, built in about 1150, is the oldest church still in use in Gaza. Located in an historic neighbourhood of Gaza City, the church offered sanctuary to people of various faiths over generations.