On October 19, 2023, at around 8:30 pm, an Israeli strike hit a building adjacent to the centuries-old Greek Orthodox St. Porphyrius Church on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street, in Gaza city. The blast destroyed parts of the church complex where hundreds of displaced civilians were reportedly taking shelter.

The church:

Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius | Name (Arabic): كنيسة القديس برفيريوس للروم الأرثوذكس Located in Gaza City, in the Zaytoun (الزيتون) neighborhood — one of the oldest churches in the world, dating back to the 5th century. Affiliation: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Victims:

Amid the 23 civilians killed, there were ten children, eight women and five men across three families. Sources reported at least 18 more civilians were injured, though by some accounts there were ‘dozens’ of wounded civilians, and potentially hundreds more under the rubble.

The three families identified with multiple civilian casualties were the Al-Amash family, Al-Souri family and Al-Tarazi family.

The Higher Presidential Committee of Churches Affairs in Palestine (HCC) described scenes with “entire families whose names were erased from civil records, children whose body parts were found under the rubble, and a girl no more than 4 months old who was found martyred in the arms of her grandmother who was also martyred.”

The Holy Orthodox Foundation of Saint George, quoted by @ytirawi on Twitter/X, claimed that Israeli forces targeted “the hall of the church with four missiles”, while The Guardian reported that “a missile brought down part of the complex”. Ibrahim Al-Souri, a survivor, interviewed by Al-Jazeera, told the media that “two raids” hit the building.

IDF spin:

On Twitter/X, @AvichayAdraee, the IDF Spokesperson, declared that Israeli forces intended to strike a target adjacent to the church, allegedly used as a Hamas command center. "Statement regarding the airstrike that targeted an area near the Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza: Israeli Air Force warplanes struck, the day before yesterday, a command and control center belonging to a Hamas operative involved in launching rockets and mortar shells toward Israel, in the Zaytoun neighborhood. This command center was used to carry out attacks against Israel and contained infrastructure belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization. Any damage resulting from the Israeli airstrike was collateral and unintended. The Israel Defense Forces can state unequivocally that the church was not the target of this strike. Hamas deliberately places its operational facilities within populated civilian areas, exploiting the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields. In order to reduce harm to civilians, the Israel Defense Forces have requested residents of northern Gaza to evacuate southward beyond Wadi Gaza. The IDF continues to urge residents of northern Gaza to evacuate the area in accordance with military instructions."

Name of the martyrs:

Al-Amash / Al-Souri Families

1. Yara Grace Al-Amsh – يارا العمش, 23 years old ♀ │ Wife of Sobhi Al-Souri │ MoH ID 405957218
2. Juliet Sobhi Al-Souri – جوليت صبحي الصوري, 1 year old ♀ │ Daughter of Yara │ MoH ID 445846819
3. George Sobhi Al-Souri – جورج صبحي الصوري, Under 1 ♂ │ Son of Yara │ MoH ID 445239171
4. Samaa Al-Amash – سما العمش, Under 1 ♀ │ Daughter of Miral and Atallah
5. Grace Issa Al-Amash – جريس عيسى العمش, Adult ♀
6. Tariq Sami Al-Souri – طارق الصوري, 37 ♂ │ MoH ID 801483959
7. Lisa Walid Souri – ليزا الصوري, 32 ♀ │ Wife of Tariq │ MoH ID 803689009
8. Issa Tariq Al-Souri – عيسى الصوري, 12 ♂ │ Son of Tariq and Lisa │ MoH ID 432257384
9. Ghada Al-Souri – غادة الصوري, Adult ♀ │ Wife of Ramez Al-Souri
10. Suhail Ramez Al-Souri – سهيل رامز الصوري, 14 ♂ │ Child of Ramez and Ghada │ MoH ID 427456660
11. Majd Ramez Al-Souri – ماجد رامز الصوري, 7 ♂ │ Child of Ramez and Ghada │ MoH ID 433213493
12. Julie Ramez Al-Souri – جويل رامز الصوري, 9 ♀ │ Child of Ramez and Ghada │ MoH ID 431576370
13. Abdel Nour Sami Al-Souri – عبد النور الصوري, Adult ♂ │ MoH ID 803471143
14. Viola Al-Amsh – فيولا العمش, 26 ♀ │ Wife of Abdel Nour │ MoH ID 403253248
15. Alia Abdelnour Al-Souri – علياء الصوري, Under 1 ♀ │ Daughter of Abdel Nour and Viola │ MoH ID 444170781

Tarazi Family/

16. Marwan Salim Tarazi – مروان ترزي, 64 ♂ │ MoH ID 922295985
17. Nahid Rahuf Musa Tarazi – ناهد ترزي, 60 ♀ │ Wife of Marwan │ MoH ID 922296090
18. Joelle Attala Al-Amash – جويل عطالله العمش, Under 1 ♀ │ Granddaughter of Marwan and Nahid │ MoH ID 444370142
19. Dr Suleiman Jamil Tarazi – سليمان ترزي, 35 ♂
20. Elaine Helmi Tarazi – الينا ترزي, 9 ♀
21. Eva Salim Musa Tarazi – ايفا سليم موسى ترزي, Adult ♀

Other Individuals:

22. Christine Al-Turk – كريسين الترك, Child ♀
23. Nassem Saba – نسيم سابا, Adult ♂

Names of some injured:

1. Sobhi Al-Souri – صبحي الصوري, Adult ♂
2. Lily Saba – ليلي سابا, 15 ♀ │ Wife of Suleiman Tarazi
3. Jad Tarazi – جاد ترزي, 7 ♂ │ Son of Suleiman and Lily