Holy sites across Israel and the Gaza Strip — including ones held sacred by Christians — are at the center of the escalating violence that began on Saturday between Hamas and Israeli forces.

While tensions over Jewish and Muslim holy sites remain a contentious part of the war, Christians who live and work throughout the Holy Land are also under attack.

Amid all the destruction has been some positive news. Contrary to some reports, Gaza City’s Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, built in the 12th century, was not destroyed in the bombings.

The fake story had originated on social media on Monday by self-described investigative journalist Sulaiman Ahmed, who claimed the building had been destroyed in an Israel Air Force bombing. The post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, received over a million views within three hours of being posted.

“Our beloved brothers in the Lord, we inform you that the church of St. Porferius [sic] in Gaza is in the best condition,” the church wrote in a post on X. “And the news you spread is nothing more than rumors. We thank all of you who asked and cared. And we ask you to pray for us.”

A Gaza church had to debunk fake news spread to millions of people by engagement-bating verified X users.

Numerous "citizen journalists" made the false claim today that the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza was destroyed by Israeli bombs.https://t.co/NcjHLdytu7 pic.twitter.com/RZ9He1rKYv

— Ben Goggin (@BenjaminGoggin) October 9, 2023

Ahmed later acknowledged that his report was inaccurate, writing on X that “the church confirmed it has remained untouched.” He did not immediately delete his original post, leading to criticism from many X users.

“Some more misinformation by you,” one user wrote. “You have a big account and responsibilities.”

“So are you going to delete the first post and apologize?” another user demanded.

Located in the Zaytun Quarter of the Old City of Gaza, Saint Porphyrius is named after the fifth century bishop of Gaza. His tomb is situated in the northeastern corner of the church. It is the oldest active church in the city. Porphyrius, who lived between the years 347 and 420 C.E.) was known for Christianizing the then-pagan city of Gaza.

The church is currently housing Palestinian refugees who are sheltering from days of Israeli bombings.

In 2014, around 2,000 Palestinian Muslims fleeing Israeli bombings had taken shelter in the church. During the bombings, families slept in the corridors and rooms of the church and adjoining buildings, where they were given meals and medical care.

Gaza’s Christian community mostly lives within the city, especially in areas neighboring the Church of Saint Porphyrius, Holy Family Catholic Parish on Zeitoun Street and the Gaza Baptist Church. In addition to these three main churches, there is an Anglican chapel inside the Al-Ahli Al-Arabi Arab Evangelical Hospital.

As of last year, there were approximately 1,100 Christians in the Gaza Strip. The area’s population of 1.91 million is largely Muslim.

Over the weekend, Pope Francis contacted the Holy Family Church and has called multiple times to keep tabs on the current situation.

“The pope called me a few minutes ago. He expressed his closeness and offered his prayers,” Father Gabriel Romanelli, who is currently in Bethlehem, told the Vatican’s news agency.

The pontiff, he added, “wanted to show his closeness” to the parish and the “people who are refugees in the parish.”

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente por Religión desconectada.

Gil Zohar was born in Toronto and moved to Jerusalem in 1982. He is a journalist writing for The Jerusalem Post, Segula magazine and other publications.