Gaza's Hamas-run government media office said 18 Christian Palestinians had been killed.
Israel levelled a northern Gaza district on Friday after giving families a half-hour warning to escape and hit an Orthodox Christian church where others had been sheltering, as it made clear that a command to invade Gaza was expected soon.
Since October 7, at least 4 137 Palestinians have been killed and 13 000 wounded in Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry said.The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the main Palestinian Christian denomination, said Israeli forces had struck the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City, where hundreds of Christians and Muslims had sought sanctuary.
The Israeli military said part of the church was damaged in a strike on a militant command centre and it was reviewing the incident.Israel has already told all civilians to evacuate the northern half of the Gaza Strip, which includes Gaza City. Many people have yet to leave, saying they fear losing everything and have nowhere safe to go, with southern areas also under attack.
The United Nations humanitarian affairs office said more than 140 000 homes nearly a third of all homes in Gaza have been damaged, with nearly 13,000 completely destroyed. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres toured the checkpoint on the Egypt side and called for a meaningful number of trucks to enter Gaza every day and checks to be quick and pragmatic.
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