Israel’s war on Gaza has not only destroyed homes and hospitals but also struck at the territory’s religious foundations, with officials saying clerics and churches have been deliberately targeted to weaken the enclave’s social fabric.
The Gaza Government Media Office said at least 233 Muslim imams, preachers and scholars, along with 20 Palestinian Christians, have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Ismail al-Thawabteh, who heads the media office, told Anadolu Agency that the killings form part of a “systematic campaign to silence religious voices and dismantle pillars of resilience.”
“Clerics are vital in reinforcing national identity, nurturing faith, and preserving social cohesion. Their elimination aims to sap morale and extinguish the discourse that exposes Israel’s crimes,” he said.
Prominent clerics killed
Among those killed were well-known figures across Gaza’s religious and academic life:
Yousef Salama, a prominent preacher and former Gaza Ministry of Endowments official, was killed in an Israeli strike on his home in Maghazi refugee camp in Deir al Balah, central Gaza, on December 31, 2023.
Wael al-Zard, imam of Gaza’s historic Omari Mosque and university lecturer, was killed in October 2023 after an Israeli air strike on his house.
Walid Oweida, a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars and senior official in the Gaza Ministry of Endowments, was killed in November 2024.
Nael Masran, a preacher known for sermons urging steadfastness, was killed with his family in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, in May.
Thawabteh said Israel has also leveled 828 mosques completely and severely damaged another 167 since the war began, leaving many neighbourhoods without functioning places of worship.
Christians under attack
The enclave’s small Christian minority has also faced direct assaults. Three major churches, the Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius, the Catholic Church of the Holy Family, and the Baptist Evangelical Church, have been bombed, some more than once.
At least 20 Christians, including elderly parishioners, women and children, were killed in these attacks, according to officials.
A July strike on the Holy Family Church killed three civilians and injured nine, including parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli. In October, an Israeli attack on St. Porphyrius Church killed 18 worshippers who had taken shelter inside.
“These assaults are not simply battlefield violations; they are attacks on the shared history and identity of the Palestinian people,” Thawabteh said, warning that targeting clergy and places of worship constitutes religious persecution under international law.
Displaced Christian families have sought refuge in churches, only to face further bombardment and acute shortages of food and medicine as Israel’s blockade deepens.
Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military assault has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
