Some relatives of former Rep. Michigan’s Justin Amash was killed when an Israeli airstrike destroyed part of a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza where they were taking refuge, he said Friday.
Amash, who in 2011 became the first Palestinian American to serve in Congress, said in an X note that several members of his family had taken refuge inside the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church when the airstrikes took place.
“I am really worried about this. With great sadness, I can now confirm that several of my relatives (including Viola and Yara pictured here) were killed in the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they took refuge, when part of the complex was destroyed by Israeli attacks. air strike,” Amash saidshared a photo of two of his relatives who died in the Christmas bombing.
“The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much. Our family is very sick. May God watch over all the Christians in Gaza — and all Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, regardless of their religion or belief,” added Amash, who represented Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District as a Republican before becoming an independent in 2019 and then a member Libertarian. Party in 2020.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 16 people were killed in the blast and several were still buried under the rubble.
Viola and Yara, relatives of former Rep. Justin Amash, was taking refuge inside the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza when it was hit by Israeli airstrikes. Justin Amash/X
Israel says Christian churches are not the target of airstrikes, and Israeli warplanes have targeted a Hamas command center that launched rockets into the Jewish state.
“Earlier today, [Israel Defense Forces] fighter jets attacked a command and control center belonging to Hamas terrorists, engaging in the launch of rockets and mortars towards Israel,” the IDF said in a statement. “The command and control center is used to carry out attacks against Israel, and contains terrorist infrastructure belonging to the terrorist organization Hamas.”
“As a result of the IDF attack, the wall of a church in the area was damaged. We are aware of reports of casualties. The incident is being reviewed,” the statement said, noting that Hamas “deliberately” used the people of the Gaza Strip “as human shields.”
The IDF has urged civilians in northern Gaza to move south.
An estimated 1,000 Christians – mostly Greek Orthodox – are part of Gaza’s 2.3 million population.
Former Michigan Representative, Justin Amash said, his family is “terrible” following the death of several of his relatives. Justin Amash/X
“The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expresses its strongest condemnation of the Israeli airstrikes that have hit its church in Gaza City,” the Orthodox Church said in a statement.
Israel has attacked Gaza with airstrikes – as a ground invasion looms – following Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel, which killed more than 1,000 people.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
