The news that the Church of St. Porphyry in Gaza, one of the oldest churches in the world, has been destroyed as a result of Israeli bombing is untrue. An announcement from the Church of St. Profir itself confirms that it is intact and operational.
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The news is circulating on social networks that the Israeli bombings in Gaza have destroyed the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyry in this city.
The Church of Saint Porphyry was consecrated in 1150, although a church has existed at that location since 425. This makes it one of the oldest churches in the world and an important historical monument.
The news that it had been destroyed by Israeli bombs was first made public on Twitter , on October 9, 2023.
However, after the news broke, the Facebook page of St. Porphyry Church denied its authenticity, posting that “St. Porphyry Church in Gaza is intact and operating in the service of the community.” “The news circulating that the church has been damaged is false,” the post reads.
However, Israeli bombing has caused significant damage and death in the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli army, the bombings have targeted over 200 different places in the city. Israeli shelling severely damaged the central Gaza neighborhood of Rimal , and hit densely populated areas such as the refugee camps in Jabalia and Shati .
As of October 12 , the Gaza Ministry of Health has reported that at least 1,200 people have died as a result of Israeli bombardment, and about 5,800 have been injured. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said that the Hamas attack on October 7 killed over 1,200 people, and left around 2,800 wounded.
