No Sanctuary Left: Gaza’s Christian Churches Targeted Amid JPC Call for Violence

In a shocking escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Jewish Policy Center (JPC), a conservative think tank, has openly called for bombing Christian churches in Gaza and assassinating pastors who refuse evacuation orders from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The message is clear: moral boundaries have been discarded in the pursuit of a “Greater Israel.”

Christian clergy in Gaza, including the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius and the Catholic Holy Family Church, have refused to abandon their congregations. For priests like Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, leaving would mean abandoning hundreds of vulnerable civilians—malnourished children, the elderly, and the disabled—to almost certain death. Previous attacks, including the July strike on Holy Family Church that killed three, show that historic churches are not spared in the conflict.

Despite international condemnation, the JPC dismisses the churches as obstacles, claiming Christians who remain are “part of the battle.” This rhetoric has stunned observers and faith leaders alike. Historian Assal Rad described the statement as appalling, asking, “When did churches become a battlefield?”

Israel’s planned large-scale operation in Gaza City threatens over a million Palestinians. With Christian communities already dwindling—only around 800 remain—these attacks risk erasing Gaza’s Christian presence entirely. Patriarchs of Jerusalem have condemned forced displacement, while clergy continue to broadcast desperate appeals amid shortages of food, medicine, and electricity.

This isn’t just a military strategy—it’s a humanitarian crisis and moral catastrophe. The targeting of houses of worship and civilians raises urgent questions about international law, morality, and the future of religious minorities in war zones.

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