evidence: Like other Palestinians and Israelis with family members in Palestine/Israel, I have found the latest and unprecedented outbreak of violence between Israel and Hamas hitting closer and closer to home. My dread became reality on Oct. 20 upon hearing from Tanya, one of my relatives. Her family lost a loved one who had been sheltering in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza, one of the world’s oldest churches. An Israeli airstrike hit one of the four compounds of the church, killing 18 Palestinian Christians, and injuring at least 20. [...] There is fear now that the Christian presence in Gaza, and across Palestine, may ultimately disappear altogether. The rubble lying around the Church of St. Porphyrius is heartbreaking, particularly when considering its symbolism for the community and the church’s rich history. "The Church of St. Porphyrius’s original structure dated to the 5th century, and the current structure, in a historic quarter of the city, was built in the 12th century. It is named for a former bishop of Gaza, Saint Porphyrius, and placed where he is believed to have died in A.D. 420," according to the Washington Post.