Press Releases
25 December 2023
Short Link:
Gaza, 25 December 2023 — On Christmas Day, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights unequivocally condemns the deliberate targeting of Palestinian Christians and their places of worship in Gaza by Israeli forces, including the traumatic events affecting one of our staff members.
Basma Ayyad, a Palestinian Christian and an Al Mezan staff member, shared a harrowing account of her family's plight amid the ongoing war. After the Israeli army issued its first mass "evacuation order" asking 1.1 million Palestinian residents of northern Gaza to move south, churches opened their doors to shelter civilians. Many members of Gaza's Christian community sought refuge there, including Basma, expecting churches to be a safe place from incessant Israeli attacks.
Seeking refuge in the Church of Saint Porphyrius after their residential area in Gaza City was bombed, Basmaand her family faced the devastating consequences of an Israeli attack on the church premises on 19 October 2023 that reportedly killed 18 Palestinians, predominantly children and women. She recalled:
“Many sought refuges in Saint Porphyrius Church, a Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza. When the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was bombed on 17 October 2023, shrapnel reached the yard of the church, damaging water tanks. On 19 October 2020, between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m., a warning missile was fired at the ‘commercial spaces’ near the church. Shortly after, within seconds, a heavy missile struck the same location, causing severe damage to the church where approximately 100 people were taking shelter. I was in a hall inside the church, only 20 meters away from the incident, and although I was not physically injured, I had a panic attack, the consequences of which continue to distress me to this day. Most of the injured were children and women. Eighteen people were killed and recovered from under the rubble, with a majority being children. Many of the wounded were admitted to the ICU at al-Shifa Hospital, which was still functioning at the time.”
In their quest for safety, Basma and her family then sought refuge in the Church of the Holy Family (Latin Convent), where approximately 550 Christians, including elderly and disabled individuals, sought shelter. Among them were residents of Mother Teresa's Home, housing over 54 disabled children, within the church's premises.
The relentless Israeli shelling in the church's vicinity became the everyday reality for the hundreds of civilians sheltering therein. On 16 December 2023, Israeli forces besieged the area surrounding the Holy Family Church. In an act of unspeakable brutality, an Israeli sniper murdered two Palestinian Christian women—a mother and her daughter—who were desperately seeking safety inside the church. The incident also led to injuries of those attempting to aid the two victims, with a grenade thrown at them by Israeli forces. It is crucial to note that those present in the church are all civilian Christians. The escalation of Israeli attacks extended to the Sisters of Mother Teresa's convent, which faced an artillery shell attack earlier the same day. The destruction of vital resources, including the fuel tank and generator—the sole source of energy—further compromised the safety of those seeking refuge.
Al Mezan is particularly alarmed by the apparent targeting of the Christian community in Gaza, as evidenced by the attacks on churches and religious sites. Israel’s deliberate targeting of places of worship, which are considered cultural and spiritual symbols, not only endangers the lives of those seeking shelter within these sacred spaces but also aims at erasing Palestinian history and culture in Gaza as part of Israel’s genocidal acts.
Moreover, intentionally directing attacks against religious buildings constitutes a severe violation of international humanitarian law and is unequivocally classified as a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The international community must stand united in condemning these crimes, holding perpetrators accountable, and working towards providing effective protection to the Palestinian population of Gaza, including the Christian community, as well as safeguarding all religious and cultural institutions in Gaza.
On Christmas Day, Al Mezan renews the plea for an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of the ongoing acts of genocide in Gaza.
***
Photo: Anadolu Agency.
For further information or media inquiries, please contact: advocacy@mezan.org
Scholasticide: Israel’s deliberate and systematic destruction of the Palestinian education system in Gaza
Israel's Displacement Orders in August 2024
Action Alert: Israel’s Massive Military Attack on the Northern West Bank
Deir Al-Balah: Latest Israeli Displacement Orders Further Prove Their Genocidal Nature
Commemorating International Justice Day Amid Israel’s Genocide in Gaza