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Former Rep. Justin Amash says relatives killed in Gaza airstrike [1]
['Brian Mcvicar', 'Bmcvicar Mlive.Com']
Date: 2023-10-23 15:05:38.531000+00:00
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash says “several” of his relatives were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza last week.
Amash, a Republican turned Libertarian who represented the Grand Rapids area in Congress from 2011 to 2021, wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) that his relatives were seeking shelter at the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza when the airstrike destroyed part of the building overnight Thursday, Oct. 19.
“The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much,” Amash wrote on Oct. 20. “Our family is hurting badly. May God watch over all Christians in Gaza—and all Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, whatever their religion or creed.”
Amash, 43, has Palestinian roots. His father migrated to Muskegon from a Palestinian refugee camp near Bethlehem in 1956.
I was really worried about this. 😔 With great sadness, I have now confirmed that several of my relatives (including Viola and Yara pictured here) were killed at Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had been sheltering, when part of the complex was destroyed as… pic.twitter.com/w5k1xEeTgF — Justin Amash (@justinamash) October 20, 2023
Israel and Gaza have been embroiled in conflict since Oct. 7, when Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, launched a rampage targeting southern Israeli communities. Thousands of people on both sides of the conflict have died since the fighting broke out, and fears are high the war could widen as it drags on.
After his initial post, Amash expressed his “heartfelt appreciation for the many kind and gracious messages of condolence for our beloved cousins in Gaza.”
“Please remember the thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians, in unbearable circumstances, who simply want a life of peace,” he said. “So many of the people suffering are just children. They don’t deserve violence and death.”
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[1] Url:
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