News in Greece
(trigger warning: Mentions of death, Genocides and destruction)
Israel’s military acknowledged it had damaged the church site while targeting what it said was a Hamas command center nearby.
An Israeli airstrike hit the grounds of the historic Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, on Thursday night, according to church officials and witnesses.
The church compound, comprising a chapel, seven buildings and a courtyard, was full of Christian families from the Gaza Strip, witnesses said.
The chapel was not struck.
The Gazan health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said at least 16 people were killed and many others were still buried under rubble.
The fighter jets that carried out the attack were trying to destroy a Hamas command center near the church that the military believes has been involved in launching rockets and mortars toward Israel, the statement said.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry expressed “deep sorrow” over the strike. “
The U.S. sends its top sanctions official to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, aiming to disrupt Hamas’s funds.
Hamas has released two American-Israeli hostages, a mother and daughter.
A Worldwide War of Words: Iran, Russia and, to a lesser degree, China are using state and social media to support Hamas and undercut Israel, while denigrating Israel’s principal ally, the United States.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/20/world/middleeast/israel-airstrike-gaza-city.html
- The historic Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza was hit by Israeli airstrikes overnight.
- Surveillance footage from the Israeli military today showed strikes on Hezbollah targets along the Israel-Lebanon border.
- Residents of Nur Shams camp have turned out to bury a dozen young men killed in an Israeli raid last night.
- One boy was just 12.The IDF refused our request for an interview about the operation on Nur Shams; 83 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank since Hamas’ terror attacks and more than 800 arrested.
- As the violence spreads, Palestinians in the West Bank are divided on how to respond to Israel’s assault on Gaza.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/israeli-airstrike-hits-greek-orthodox-church-in-gaza-killing-more-than-a-dozen