The staff of the international Catholic relief arm Caritas Jerusalem are expressing praise and gratitude for God’s seeming miraculous intervention on a Gaza church compound July 29.

A missile has crashed into an annex of St. Porphyrios Church in Gaza City, causing destruction and some injuries, but it miraculously failed to detonate on impact, sparing the lives of many displaced Palestinians, mainly Christians, sheltering in the Greek Orthodox church since fighting erupted between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023.

“Suddenly, we were sitting in a hall next to the church, when we were shocked by the force and sound of a missile hitting the building,” Nathalie Sayegh, a Caritas Jerusalem employee present during the incident, told OSV News by telephone. “There were some 70 people present in the hall at the time,” she said.

“People panicked, screaming as the missile penetrated the annex roof, hitting a room before reaching a hall filled with displaced people where the shell fell from the ceiling. It failed to explode on impact,” Sayegh said, the relief evident in her voice. “Thank the Lord, it did not detonate, otherwise we would have been left with nothing but remnants.”

Sayegh said, “There was great damage done by the missile’s impact to the hall and other areas, including the priest and bishop’s residence. Three women were injured by the impact and debris from the walls, but no severe injuries were reported. One suffered injuries to her hand.”

In a statement provided by Caritas Jerusalem to OSV News, the July 29 incident “underscores the vulnerability of the displaced and the critical need for safety in conflict zones.”

“Caritas Jerusalem thanks the Lord for protecting the internally displaced who were seeking refuge in the church compound and reiterates that nowhere is safe in Gaza. Please pray with us for an immediate ceasefire and an end to this tyranny,” it said.