Former U.S. Representative Justin Amash expressed his grief on Friday, revealing that some of his relatives were among the casualties of an Israeli air strike on a Greek Orthodox church in the Gaza Strip. Amash extended his prayers to all Christians in Gaza, as well as Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, regardless of their religious or cultural background.
According to Palestinian officials, around 500 Muslims and Christians sought refuge from Israeli bombardments in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius. The health ministry of the Hamas-run government reported that 16 individuals lost their lives in the incident.
The Israeli military acknowledged that the church sustained damage during an attack on a nearby militant command center. They stated that a thorough investigation of the incident is underway.
The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the strike, expressing their disapproval in an official statement.
Justin Amash, a Palestinian-American who served as a Republican representative for Michigan from 2011 to 2021, voiced his criticism of former President Donald Trump and eventually left the Republican Party in 2019 to join the Libertarian Party.
Since Hamas carried out an attack resulting in the deaths of 1,400 individuals in southern Israel on October 7, Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza. Palestinian health officials report that over 4,100 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 1 million have been displaced, according to the United Nations.
Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Daniel Wallis
