A military vehicle is seen at the Rafah border crossing to Gaza on 19 October 2023 in North Sinai, Egypt
Details are still emerging over a blast near the Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza. We still don’t know exactly what happened, so here’s a look at what’s being said on the ground:
In a statement, Hamas reported an explosion near the Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City on Thursday, where it said many Christians had sought shelter
The group said the blast caused “huge damage”, leaving a “large number” of people injured
Hamas blamed the explosion on an Israeli strike
Israel’s army said a wall of the church had been damaged in its air strike, and that the building was also used by militants
The BBC is not currently able to confirm a strike or assess any impact, though images shared with us do capture some damage to the church
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem said targeting the church “constitutes a war crime” in a statement in which it also expressed its “strongest condemnation”
Saint Porphyrius Church dates back to 12th century and is located near to the Al-Ahli hospital, which was hit by a deadly blast on Tuesday
We will continue to watch closely any developments that emerge across the day and update you as they come to us.
