Since Israel started bombarding the Palestinian enclave, at least 4,137 people have died in the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry under Hamas’ control, which released its report on Friday.
Following the start of Israeli strikes on October 7, the ministry reported that 13,162 more people had been injured.
According to the ministry, 16 persons perished at the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox church compound in Gaza City late on Thursday.
NGO Cartias Internationalis said in a statement that about 500 people, including five Caritas employees and their families, had sought sanctuary at the church.
In a statement, the NGO said, “We were devastated to learn of the death of our colleague Viola, 26-year-old, who was killed alongside her husband and their infant daughter” during the strike.
There were reportedly at least 17 fatalities and more people still buried beneath the debris.
As the fighting raged in the Palestinian enclave, many Gaza residents sought refuge at a place of worship, which appears to have been the target of the strike, witnesses told AFP.
The army claimed that one of Hamas’ “command and control centers”—which was in charge of launching rockets towards Israel—had been hit by fighter jets.
“A church wall in the vicinity sustained damage as a result of the strike.
In addition, the health ministry of Hamas reported that since the conflict began, 46 medical professionals had died and another 85 had been injured inside the enclave.
It further stated that twenty-one medical facilities were not operating because of a fuel shortage.
Humanitarian supplies are still awaiting entry into Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt, according to the Palestinian population there.
After Hamas launched a deadly raid on southern Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 people on Israeli soil—mostly civilians—the conflict in Gaza broke out.
