Until Oct 7, 2023, Christians in Gaza were living in various areas throughout the Gaza Strip. At one point, there were around 1,100 Christians among the 2.2 million Muslims.
Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, many Christians in Gaza have taken refuge in three churches, leaving behind their homes and belongings due to the war and Israel’s instructions at various times to evacuate certain areas. Throughout the conflict, thousands of families have lost their homes, businesses, and workplaces; and many areas of Gaza have suffered extensive destruction.
Christian families were divided among the three different churches in Gaza City (in the north), with 550 Christians taking shelter in the St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church, hundreds of others in the Holy Family Latin (Catholic) Church, and 70 at the Gaza Baptist Church until it was extensively damaged in late 2023. Unfortunately, the Church of St. Porphyrios was also damaged in Oct. 2023 by a nearby airstrike, causing the collapse of one of the compound’s buildings and resulting in the deaths of 20 Christians.
Following the incident at St. Porphyrios, many sought refuge in the Latin Church compound. Then, in 2024, the Latin Church came under fire. A mother and daughter were killed by snipers as they walked across the courtyard to use the bathroom. On July 17 of this year, the Latin Church was again hit with a missile, resulting in two deaths and eleven wounded, including the priest.