Gaza's Palestinian Christian community is calling on the world to not turn a blind eye to their plight, as Israel's indiscriminate offensive in Gaza puts the dwindling community at risk of being wiped out.
In Gaza City, the Strip's minuscule Roman Catholic population was forced to flee from the sanctuary provided by the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic place of worship in Gaza, after Israeli bombs began indiscriminately pummeling the city.
Dania Tarazi, 38, a Palestinian Catholic, along with her husband and three children remember trying to huddle together with their Muslim neighbors in the church before the bombing made it impossible to stay there.
Their sense of safety was further shattered when, on Oct. 19, Israel bombed the nearby Church of Saint Porphyrius, Gaza's oldest church, killing at least 18 people, including the relatives of a former American congressman. (Related: Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash says his CHRISTIAN relatives in Gaza were killed in Israeli strike on Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church.)
Two days later, an Israeli air raid hit the nearby Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, an Anglican institution that used to service both Palestinian Christians and Muslims alike.
"The war crimes that have been committed in Gaza [since October] affected all of us, regardless of whether we are Christians or Muslims," said Dania's relative, Rania who, along with her husband Tarek and their children, has since fled from Gaza City.
"Israel has committed war crimes against civilians, destroying many residential blocks –districts even – [with] schools, hospitals, mosques, churches," said Tarek.
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"This is a reminder to the world that the pain is one, and the loss is one," said Rania. "We are reminded that our struggle is a collective one, where we stand together in the face of adversity."
"We share the same dreams of justice, and we will yearn for a better future [when we] return to our beloved land," added Tarek. "It's crucial to emphasize that the pain and suffering we endure are not confined to a single faith but touch every single soul in Gaza, in Palestine, and among humanity."
While Rania and Tarek have left, Dania refuses to leave Gaza City despite the increasing intensity of Israeli attacks.
"We do not accept displacement from our country, our land and our churches," she said. "I will not leave the church except to my grave." The Tarazis have lost at least four members of their family to Israeli bombings.
This sentiment is surprisingly popular among the besieged Palestinian Christians of North Gaza. Shireen Awwad of Beit Sahour in the West Bank noted that she still has cousins, uncles and aunts in Gaza City who are determined to stand their ground.
"Every time we asked them: 'Do you want to leave?' They would say, 'No, these are our roots. This is where we were born,'" said Awwad.
Christianity could "cease to exist in Gaza" if Israeli attacks continue
Over 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7. Before the war, only 800 to 1,000 Christians were believed to still be living in Gaza, constituting one of the world's oldest continuous Christian communities in the world, dating back to the time of Jesus Christ and the Apostles themselves.
"This community is under threat of extinction," warned Mitri Raheb, an Evangelical Lutheran Pastor and founder of the Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem in the West Bank. He warned that it was conceivable that, if the Israeli offensive continued, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world could end up being wiped out for good.
"I'm not sure if they will survive the Israeli bombing, and even if they survive, I think many of them will want to emigrate," said Raheb. "We know that, within this generation, Christianity will cease to exist in Gaza."
Watch this episode of the "Health Ranger Report" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses the reasoning behind Israel's willingness to openly commit atrocities in Gaza.
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