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(OSV News) -- The staff of the international Catholic relief arm Caritas Jerusalem are expressing praise and gratitude for God's seeming miraculous intervention on a Gaza church compound July 29.
A missile fired from an Israeli battle tank crashed into an annex of St. Porphyrios Church in Gaza City, causing destruction and some injuries, but it miraculously failed to detonate on impact, sparing the lives of many displaced Palestinians, mainly Christians, sheltering in the Greek Orthodox church since fighting erupted between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
"Suddenly, we were sitting in a hall next to the church, when we were shocked by the force and sound of a missile hitting the building," Nathalie Sayegh, a Caritas Jerusalem employee present during the incident, told OSV News by telephone. "There were some 70 people present in the hall at the time," she said.
"People panicked, screaming as the missile penetrated the annex roof, hitting a room before reaching a hall filled with displaced people where the shell fell from the ceiling. It failed to explode on impact," Sayegh said, the relief evident in her voice. "Thank the Lord, it did not detonate, otherwise we would have been left with nothing but remnants."
Sayegh said, "There was great damage done by the missile's impact to the hall and other areas, including the priest and bishop's residence. Three women were injured by the impact and debris from the walls, but no severe injuries were reported. One suffered injuries to her hand."
St. Porphyrios Church was the scene of a previous Israeli missile strike, on Oct. 19, 2023, and it was deadly. An Israeli airstrike damaged one of the four buildings on the church compound causing the ceiling to collapse and killing at least 18 civilians, including children. At the time more than 450 Christian and Muslim Palestinian residents in Gaza had been sheltering there.
The Israeli military said the explosion resulted from one of its airstrikes, which had targeted a nearby Hamas rocket and mortar launch command post.
In a statement provided by Caritas Jerusalem to OSV News, the July 29 incident "underscores the vulnerability of the displaced and the critical need for safety in conflict zones."
"Caritas Jerusalem thanks the Lord for protecting the internally displaced who were seeking refuge in the church compound and reiterates that nowhere is safe in Gaza. Please pray with us for an immediate ceasefire and an end to this tyranny," it said.
Meanwhile, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land condemned the attack in which 12 children were killed while playing on a soccer field when a rocket struck the Israeli-controlled small town of Majdal Shams near Lebanon.
"These innocent lives, full of hopes and dreams, were taken in an unspeakable act of violence, deeply grieving all who hold life sacred," ACOHL said in a July 28 condolence message.
"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and to the entire Druze community in the Holy Land," the assembly said. "The loss of these children is an unspeakable tragedy, leaving a profound impact on us all. Words cannot fully express the grief and indignation we feel in the face of such an abhorrent act of violence."
At least 44 other people were injured in the attack. Although Hezbollah did not claim responsibility, days later, Israel carried out a strike on Beirut, which claimed a life of a top Hezbollah commander, the military organization confirmed. The Beirut strike killed at least two children and injured 74 other people.
- - - Dale Gavlak writes for OSV News from Amman, Jordan.