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As the Israeli army bombards Gaza in retaliation for Hamas attacks on Saturday, October 7, many people online have been sharing a video claiming it shows the Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius destroyed. But the footage does not show the destruction of the oldest church in Gaza, and the organisation that manages the place of worship says it was not hit.
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Since October 9, many Internet users have been claiming that a video of the bombardments in Gaza showed the destruction of the Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius, a historic place of worship in the city. However, the church stated on Facebook the same day that it had not suffered any damage in the bombardments.
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A reverse image search can be used to find the exact location of the video, which was filmed in another part of Gaza City, as noted by the investigative collective Bellingcat.
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Several publications by pro-Palestinian or pro-Russian accounts continue to claim that the church was destroyed.
The fact-check, in detail
According to the latest figures from local authorities on October 11, more than 1,200 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7 and many buildings and homes have been destroyed by Israeli bombardment.
Since October 9, numerous publications on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) have also claimed that Gaza’s St. Porphyrius Orthodox Church, one of the world’s oldest Christian places of worship, was destroyed by Israeli bombardments.
In particular, several publications on X shared a video of the bombing, in which buildings destroyed by an explosion can be seen in the distance, near a tower.
“Israeli warplanes bombed the largest Church, St. Porphyrius Orthodox Church, in Gaza,” claimed one account on X on October 9, sharing the footage.
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