A yet-to-be-ascertained number of people have been reportedly killed as an Israeli military strike hit a church compound in Gaza in an attempt to capture Hamas terrorists, Naija News learnt.
Hamas-controlled interior ministry confirmed the latest strike by the Israeli military, stating that several displaced people sheltering at the worship centre were affected by the Thursday attack.
The strike left a “large number of martyrs and injured” at the compound of the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, the ministry said in a press release.
AFP quoted witnesses to have said that the airstrike seemed to have been directed towards a location adjacent to the place of worship, which had become a sanctuary for numerous Gaza inhabitants amidst the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian enclave.
Upon being contacted, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) told the media that their fighter jets had targeted a command and control centre responsible for launching rockets and mortars towards Israel.
As a result of the IDF strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged,” it said, adding, “We are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review.”
It was further gathered that the Israeli strike damaged the facade of the church and caused an adjacent building to collapse, adding that many injured people were evacuated to hospital.
