The emergency committee of Gaza City’s Holy Family Church said Wednesday that it will remain at the compound to support priests, nuns and civilians sheltering there, even as Israel prepares to occupy the city.

In a statement, the committee said its decision follows a joint declaration by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem warning of an impending Israeli offensive and ongoing evacuation orders in Gaza City.

“Since the first day of the war, the committee has worked tirelessly to serve the displaced inside the church and the community outside it,” the Holy Family Church’s statement said. “We renew our commitment to stand with the Church, hand in hand with the priests and nuns, for the common good of the community.”

The joint patriarchal statement, released Tuesday in Jerusalem, noted that Israeli officials announced plans “a few weeks ago” to take control of Gaza City and that media reports have described “massive military mobilization and preparations for an imminent offensive.”

“Evacuation orders were already in place for several neighborhoods in Gaza City,” the patriarchs said. “Reports of heavy bombardment continue to be received. There is more destruction and death in a situation that was already dramatic before this operation.”

Hundreds of thousands of civilians remain in Gaza City, including Christians sheltering at the Greek Orthodox compound of Saint Porphyrius and the Holy Family compound, according to the statement.

The patriarchates said many of those inside the compounds are “weakened and malnourished due to the hardships of the last months,” warning that fleeing south “would be nothing less than a death sentence.”

The Holy Family committee emphasized that its declaration reflects its own decision and reiterated the patriarchates’ position that, like other Gaza residents, those sheltering inside church facilities “will have to decide according to their conscience what they will do.”

In recent days, the Israeli government approved plans to occupy the remaining parts of Gaza, beginning with evacuating about 1 million residents from Gaza City before surrounding it and sending troops into neighborhoods, then moving toward refugee camps in central Gaza.

Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign 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 Defense 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. (Anadolu Agency)

• Christians living in Gaza City attend the Easter Mass at the St. Porphyrius Church as the Israeli army continues its attacks on the Gaza Strip on April 20, 2025 in Gaza City, Gaza