Christian minority killed and dying due to Gaza conflict

The Israel-Hamas conflict has claimed the lives of 22 people from among the roughly 1,000 Christians living in Gaza. An airstrike killed 17 Christians sheltering in the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius on 19 October, and five others have died from lack of medical care. On 12 December an unexploded rocket was discovered on the boundaries of the Holy Family parish complex, where most of Gaza’s Christians have taken refuge, <a href="https://acnuk.org/news/holy-land-22-christians-dead-in-gaza-and-unexploded-rocket-found-in-parish/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">reports</mark></a> Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). “Imagine the level of trauma among children and all the people there in case it explodes,” a source told ACN. “It is impossible to dismantle it unless the Israeli army itself intervenes.” Recently the Holy Family Church – the only Catholic church in Gaza – and parish buildings were <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/schrapnel-damages-gazas-only-catholic-church/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">damaged</mark></a> by Israeli military action, while the parish has run out of fuel, leaving its inhabitants without electricity. Local sources also say that many Christian families have lost homes and all their possessions since the beginning of the war. A Christian living in Gaza, who wished to only be known as G. A., noted that the “opportunity to move around and go check on our home” when the ceasefire was declared at the end of November soon turned heart-breaking. “It was devastating to see that our apartment, which is on the top floor of a four-storey family-owned building, is completely destroyed, with only one room remaining.&nbsp; “We collected a few items and returned to the safety of the church complex waiting for an end to this ugly war so that we can begin the process of rebuilding our lives.” ACN has helped Christians sheltering at the Holy Family Church purchase food items and medicines.&nbsp;It has also provided support for Christians in the&nbsp;West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Vicariate for Migrants and Asylum Seekers, most of whom work in the tourism sector and have lost their livelihoods since pilgrimages and holidays in the Holy Land have been cancelled.&nbsp; The emergency aid includes medical support and help with basic living costs, such as food and accommodation. G.A. expressed his gratitude to the charity’s benefactors who have made this aid possible, saying: “The support provided to sustain our lives during this time of need is very much appreciated.” Another Christian from Gaza, known as J. M., recalled how "word was received that our neighbourhood was attacked. "I waited until the shelling subsided a bit and I went to check on our building – which included several other Christian families as well – only to find out that the whole residential building was completely demolished and there [was] nothing remaining. “Everything we owned, including all my childhood memories, has become history.” J. M. added: “I returned to the church and broke the news to my parents and the other Christian families who have been taking refuge with us.&nbsp; “The next day, I took the key off my keychain, as I no longer need it to go home.”<br><br>Photo: A young Catholic boy entering the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. (Credit: THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images.)