Former Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), the first Palestinian-American member of Congress, posted online that his family members were killed in Gaza in ongoing airstrikes between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
“It is with great sadness that I have now confirmed that several of my relatives (including Viola and Yara, pictured here) were killed in the St. Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had sought refuge, as part of the complex as a result of a Israeli airstrike,” Amash posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The explosion rocked the Greek Orthodox church housing hundreds of displaced Palestinians late Thursday and caused a wall to collapse. Aby Selmia, the general director of Shifa Hospital, initially said dozens were injured inside the church but could not give an exact death toll because bodies were buried under the rubble, the Associated Press reported.
Palestinian authorities blamed the explosion on an Israeli airstrike, but this could not be independently verified.
The Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George confirmed the bombing of the church.
“The bombs hit the two church rooms where the refugees, including children and babies, were sleeping,” the order said in a statement. “Our source on the ground says they estimate the number of dead at between 150 and 200 people, and that number is expected to rise if more people are found in the rubble.”
According to Al Jazeera, the church has traditionally “served as a refuge for Christians and Muslims during Israel’s regular wars against Gaza.”
Several members of Congress responded to Amash online, expressing condolences for his loss.
“Justin, I am so incredibly sorry,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X. “This is devastating.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal sent a broken heart emoji and said, “I’m so sorry for this great loss, Justin.”
The former MP expressed his family’s suffering and wished comfort for others in the same situation.
“Give their souls rest, O Lord, and may their memory be eternal,” he wrote, adding: “May God watch over all Christians in Gaza – and over all Israelis and Palestinians who suffer, regardless of their religion or belief .”
Amash represented Michigan’s third congressional district until 2021.
According to official figures, about 1,400 Israelis were killed in the first two weeks of the conflict in the Middle East. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said nearly 3,800 Palestinians were killed in the counterattacks.
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