Christian Community in Gaza Fears Extinction as “Israel’s” Genocidal Campaign Continues
By Staff, Agencies
Palestinian Christians are concerned their community is facing the threat of extermination in Gaza as “Israel” has bombarded the strip continuously since the start of the aggression on 7 October.
The “Israeli” military has martyred more than 20000, mostly children and women, over the past three months of ferocious air strikes and ground operations.
In the process, residential towers, places of worship and schools have been razed by air strikes while “Israel” has also cut off all fuel, water, food and electricity supplies for the besieged strip since 9 October.
“We’re one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, and we face the threat of extinction,” Hammam Farah, a Palestinian Christian living in Canada, who has lost several relatives in the current bombing campaign, said Farah.
he, before the “Israeli” siege and blockade in Gaza started in 2007, there were around 3,000 Christians. The number dwindled to around 1,000 as people left due to the inhumane conditions as a result of the blockade and stayed steady over the years.
However, since 7 October, the number has dropped to 800, with more feared dead as the death toll rises every day.
Christians have been seeking refuge in churches throughout the constant bombardment, including in the historic St Porphyrius church which was bombed on 19 October.
Farah says he has lost many family members in “Israel’s” current “genocidal campaign” which has forced Christians to evacuate their homes and head to churches.
“The ceiling collapsed [in the St Porphyrius church], killing 18 people including my cousin, Soliman. He was 35 years old. His wife sustained serious injuries and has a broken back, broken hip, and broken jaw. They have two little boys who witnessed their father perishing beneath the rubble,” he said.
Farah’s great aunt, the renowned music teacher Elham Farah, 84, was also killed on 12 November after being shot by an “Israeli” soldier as she tried to leave the church to check up on her home.
“Just a few days ago, our family friends, Nahida Anton and Samar Anton,F mother and daughter, left the Holy Family’s church hall to walk to the Sisters of Mother Teresa convent to use the only bathroom in the compound and were shot and killed by ‘Israeli’ snipers,” Farah said.
On 16 and 17 December, “Israeli” tanks surrounded the Holy Family’s church and snipers took up position around it. The Young Men’s Christian Association [YMCA] was also bombed on 16 December, wounding dozens according to the Euro-Med monitor.
Ryan al-Natour, a Palestinian Christian from Australia, said the current attacks are “designed to erase all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip”, and this will have a “dire impact” on the Christian community there.
“The racist, apartheid state claims to the world that it has a ‘moral’ army and is supposedly the ‘saviour’ of Christians in Gaza whilst it is eliminating us one by one. Christians across Gaza are seeing the false narrative that ‘Israel’ tells the world whilst they are starved and bombed by a genocidal army,” he stated.
Earlier this month, it was announced that there would be no Christmas lights in Bethlehem, festive parades in Occupied Al-Quds, or celebrations in Jordan due to “Israel’s” bombing of Gaza. Many diaspora Palestinians also took the decision to refrain from celebrating this year, feeling it was inappropriate.
