A multipurpose building of the Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrios in Gaza collapsed on 19 October after it was struck by a warhead. Hours after the attack, officials did not know the number of casualties, but dozens are feared dead beneath the rubble. The parish church, its school and adjacent church buildings had been sheltering up to 1,000 people, including the parents of a CNEWA staff member and on-the-ground partners, many of whom are parishioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CNEWA learned of the building collapse from Joseph Hazboun, the regional director of CNEWA\u2019s Jerusalem office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Hazboun said people have gathered at the bomb site to search for survivors, adding they are \u201cin shock, trying hard to help as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are all in tears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Church of St. Porphyrios is a parish of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is among the most historic in the region, its foundations dating to the fifth century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"