GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem on Sunday condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital in Gaza City, describing the attack as a “blatant violation of the sanctity of life” and held the Israeli authorities fully responsible for the deliberate targeting of health infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
In a press statement, the Patriarchate asserted that the airstrike, which occurred in the early hours of Palm Sunday, struck not only a civilian medical facility but also the core of human values.
It described the Baptist Hospital as “one of the last remaining treatment centers in Gaza,” highlighting its decades-long role in caring for the wounded regardless of their background.
Palm Sunday, which marks the final Sunday before Good Friday in the Christian calendar, commemorates the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. The Patriarchate’s statement emphasized the symbolic weight of the attack on this day of spiritual significance, declaring it “an assault on the spirit of mercy and a sacred place that has historically embodied healing.”
The statement further noted that the strike was part of the “systematic eradication” of Gaza’s healthcare sector, citing widespread destruction of medical infrastructure during the ongoing conflict. The Patriarchate warned that the targeting of hospitals not only constitutes a physical blow but also represents “an affront to the very values of compassion and human dignity upheld by the teachings of Christ.”
It also referred to the Palm Sunday service held at the Church of Saint Porphyrius, one of Gaza’s oldest Christian sites, located in the Zeitoun neighborhood. Despite the surrounding destruction, the service was conducted “in an atmosphere of faith and resilience,” described by the Patriarchate as a message that “the voice of prayer cannot be silenced, and the light of Christ cannot be extinguished, even in the depths of sorrow.”
The Church concluded by affirming that it “will not remain silent in the face of this open wound,” offering both prayer and moral witness amid what it characterized as ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
Earlier on Sunday, the Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed that the Baptist Hospital had been rendered completely out of service following a direct strike. The Israeli missiles reportedly hit the hospital’s central building, which housed its pharmacy, laboratory, and emergency intake areas for casualties.
