Posted on 10/21/2023 10:17:10 PM PDT by Morgana
A former U.S. congressman said several of his relatives were among the casualties when an Israeli airstrike hit a church in Gaza, which killed at least 18 people.
Justin Amash, a Palestinian-American who formerly represented Michigan, revealed on social media that his relatives had been taking refuge in the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church compound in Gaza, partially destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on Thursday.
"With great sadness, I have now confirmed that several of my relatives were killed at Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had been sheltering, when part of the complex was destroyed as the result of an Israeli airstrike," Amash wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Give rest, O Lord, to their souls, and may their memories be eternal."
The Israel Defense Forces admitted that a portion of the church complex had been damaged during an airstrike targeting Hamas military compounds but maintained that the church itself was not the intended target. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem accused Israel of a "war crime."
Israel has carried out retaliatory airstrikes since Hamas attacked communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing over 1,400 civilians, including 30 Americans.
Amash was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2021 and left the Republican Party in 2019 to join the Libertarian Party.
Palestinian officials noted that the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius sheltered around 500 Muslims and Christians from Israeli bombings. Palestinian health officials claim as many as 16 of the victims were Christians.
"The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much," Amash tweeted. "Our family is hurting badly. May God watch over all Christians in Gaza — and all Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, whatever their religion or creed."
Fr. Issa Musleh of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Bethlehem told Al Jazeera dozens were found injured as rescue efforts continue. Ibrahim Jahsan, a Christian residing in Gaza, had taken refuge in the church along with his pregnant wife and two young children. He told Al Jazeera that he believed that the church would provide a safe sanctuary during the conflict.
On Friday, a mass funeral was held in the church courtyard where the bodies, wrapped in white sheets, lay next to the debris that claimed their lives, The Guardian reported, noting that four of the deceased were small children.
Palestinian health officials report over 4,100 Palestinians killed since airstrikes began, with over 13,000 injured.
In a joint statement, United Nations agencies called for a "humanitarian ceasefire, along with immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access throughout Gaza to allow humanitarian actors to reach civilians in need, save lives and prevent further human suffering." The agencies state that over 1.6 million people in Gaza are in critical need of humanitarian aid.
The Israeli government warned over 1 million people in northern Gaza last week to evacuate to southern Gaza as it readies for a potential ground invasion.
On Saturday, the first convoy of humanitarian assistance crossed into Gaza since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
"The opening of this essential supply route was the result of days of diplomatic engagement at the highest levels," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. "I made it clear from the outset of this crisis — in both my public statements and private conversations — that humanitarian assistance was a critical and urgent need that had to get moving, and I express my deep personal appreciation for the leadership of President Al-Sisi of Egypt, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, and the United Nations to allow the resumption of this assistance."
100%. And the "The Patriarchate of Jerusalem" is one of the worst of them.
Because it is a dangerous area (obviously!). Because they were at risk of suffering collateral damage. Because Hamas was/is using them as human shields.
Lesson over! Class dismissed!
Regards,
Oh, I don’t know…maybe because THEY’RE IN A WAR ZONE! Is that an actual, serious question? There were many Germans who didn’t support Hitler and the Nazis, yet if they just kept hanging out in Berlin they got bombed like everyone else. What is your point?
Unless they had family members who couldn’t stand evacuating, they should’ve left when warned by Israel. Hamas got triple points for the deaths of Christians as cannon fodder for Israel which was then announced by a former US congressman.
These so-called Christians are all pro-Palestinians. They hate Israelis. They are not like American evangelical Christians. They are stupid brainwashed Arabized Christians. I am rooting for Israel to win. 🇮🇱
They aren't being punished. They are being collateral damaged.
Hamas bombed it.
I think he is former becsuse he was a,Republican who got on the bad side of the Tea Party movement.....or something like that.
Now we’re begging the question as to why the Christians did not leave with the Jews in 2005.
My condolences. Very sorry for your loss.
We bombed Germany in WW2 even though it was full of self identified Christians, and not much else. Why? Because it was also full of Nazis, many of whom doubtless considered themselves Christian, too. So long as the Christians in Germany were willing to coexist with the Nazis, there wasn’t any way to defeat Nazi Germany that did not also involve dropping bombs that would certainly hit factories where Christians worked, or could hit churches where they prayed. There was no way to defeat the nazis that didn’t also involve shooting at Christians.
Unfortunately there was no way to tell them apart because often they were one and the same, and every day Germany survived, the regime’s soldiers shoved more people, mostly Jews but fellow Christians and others too, into the ovens or gas chambers or open mass graves.
So Christian sinners like my grandfather ended up shooting at Christian sinners in the German lines.
Proximity to and tolerance of evil has consequences, there is no fixing that.
Israel isn’t targeting Christians in Gaza or anywhere else, but there are certainly Palestinians targeting them. There is no way to defeat an evil that does target the helpless and weak without risk of harming those who would rather tolerate living with evil than risk opposing it.
Probably because Muslims told them they would be allowed to live in peace. Little did they know that they were becoming hostages.
Hard to believe that out of either Fatah or Hamas. Particularly since the Muslim Brotherhood spawned both of them too.
The demeanor of the Patriarchate bespeaks common antipathy towards the tribe of Judah.
Nobody said they were telling the truth. Taqqyia is one of the keys to Islamic conquest. Just don’t resist and let us disarm you and we let you live in peace.
A few months later, “We would like your daughter and property.”
It’s certainly incumbent upon Christian leaders to warn their followers about taqiyyah, is it not.
Yes. I do.
You can never trust the word of a Muslim. Even if you have known them for 50 years. You be peaceful, if they are peaceful but you do not trust them ever.
Both liberals and Muslims are like that.
According to aljazeera news, there are c1,000 Christians remaining in Gaza [the other 2,000,000+ are muslim].
According to the Palestinian authorities [Hamas] this is the second time the church has been bombed and destroyed by Israel in the last 10 days. The first report has already been debunked as fake news/propaganda. The second report is already being moderated: it now wasn’t a “bomb” that hit the church “compound” [not the church itself] but a missile.
Hamas have history when it comes to errant missiles hitting hospital compounds and such?
Time will tell.
Totally agree.
Get the hell out of there.
Those that stay are either
blind or supportive.
Bombs falling all around.
You wouldn’t have to ask me
twice. Self perseverance
plays a roll.
Over 80% voted for the
current regime....
[And of course, there’s the Koran’s anti-gospel, which proclaims that Jesus was not the Son of God nor was he crucified.]
That’s correct. And it specifically says that “allah has no son”.
They most certainly were. If they chose to stay, then the consequences of that decision are laid at their feet alone.
I'm actually not interested in hearing whining about it when bad things happen.
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