Relations of a former US Congressman had been killed in a church explosion in Gaza

Former Congressman Justin Amash introduced on Friday that a lot of his family members had been killed after an Israeli air strike focused a Greek Orthodox church within the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian well being officers stated that 16 folks had been killed through the evening raid that focused the St. Porphyrios Orthodox Church in Gaza Metropolis. The church didn’t announce the demise toll within the incident, however expressed its “robust condemnation” of the strike.

The IDF admitted in a press release Newsweek It was accountable for the injury to the church and added that it “can state unequivocally that the church was not the goal of the strike.”

The Israeli military carried out dozens of strikes towards Hamas targets within the space surrounding the church on Thursday as a part of its response to the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel, which was the deadliest Palestinian armed assault on the nation in historical past. The Gaza Ministry of Well being instructed The Related Press on Friday that 3,785 Palestinians had been killed and greater than 12,500 others had been injured. The Related Press stated that greater than 1,400 folks had been killed in Israel.

Amash represented the third Congressional District within the US Home of Representatives from 2011 to 2021. He was the primary American of Palestinian origin to characterize his state in Congress, and started his mission as a Republican earlier than turning into an unbiased in 2019. In 2020, he joined the Liberal Occasion.

in Message posted on X Amash stated (previously on Twitter) that “a number of” of his family members had been killed within the St. Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, the place they had been taking shelter.

His publish contained a photograph of two ladies he stated had been Viola and Yara, who he stated died within the raid.

“The Palestinian Christian neighborhood has suffered tremendously. Our household is hurting deeply. Could God shield all Christians in Gaza – and all struggling Israelis and Palestinians, no matter their faith or perception,” he wrote.

Newsweek I reached out to Amash through electronic mail for remark.

Present Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who has drawn controversy for criticizing President Joe Biden’s robust help for Israel in its response to the Hamas assault, responded to Amash X’s publish.

“I am so sorry, Justin.” Tlaib wrote.

The Palestinian Council of Church buildings, appointed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, additionally denounced the injury to the church.

The council stated in a press release, in response to what Reuters reported, “This means that the targets of the Israeli occupation are defenseless folks, kids, ladies and the aged.”