Christians in Gaza face “extermination” warns West Bank cleric
Father Abdullah July, who serves as a pastor of the Greek Catholic church in the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, has raised concerns over the “extermination” of Christians in Gaza following Israel’s offensive into the strip on July 27th, reported the New Arab and agencies.
The cleric stated, in an interview with the Arabic news site Arabi21, that 50 Christians had been killed in the enclave since October, when heavy fighting began between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters.
Relentless bombing by Israeli forces has put immense pressure on Christians to leave the enclave and abandon their places of worship left to ruin, added the pastor. If the community continues to face more attacks, the Christian presence within the enclave will be reduced to “mere historical memories, and churches will turn into museums”.
The religious leader also criticised countries that were supportive of Israel’s military actions and their inability to secure a much-needed ceasefire.
“Israeli aggression has exposed the racism and hypocrisy of the West, especially given their strong support for Israel and believe in all their false narratives, turning a blind eye to their crimes and horrific massacres,” said July.
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Gaza has an estimated Christian population of 800 to 1,000 people, a majority of whom are Greek Orthodox. Half are indigenous to Gaza, while the remaining half are either refugees or descendants of refugees from Jaffa, Jerusalem, Lydda and Ramle.
“The great Western interest in Israel came at the expense of the Christian presence in Palestine,” the pastor added.
Fighting in the coastal enclave has wreaked havoc on civilian infrastructure and ancient places of worship. Shortly after the war started, the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City was damaged by an airstrike in October, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 Christian Palestinians seeking shelter.
The church, built around 425 AD, is believed to be the third oldest in the world and has served as a sanctuary for Christians and Muslims throughout times of conflict.
Hundreds of Palestinians were also killed in Al-Ahli Hospital on October 17th by Israeli missile fire, causing a deadly explosion. The hospital, run by the Anglican church, is the only Christian hospital in the Gaza Strip.
READ: Gaza radio director killed, journalist death toll breaches 160
July commented that the repeated demands by the IDF for Christians to leave the Gaza strip only serve as scaremongering to divide and fragment people.
Israeli authorities have also been pressuring church leaders in the West Bank with “veiled threats” and “repeated intimidation operations” according to July.
So far, Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza due to the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7th has resulted in the deaths of 39,175 people and injured over 90,402, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.
The future of Palestinian Christians within the Gaza Strip has raised concern for several religious and political leaders in recent months, with attacks proving to be the most significant blow to one of the region’s oldest religious communities.
The New Arab and agencies
