An Iranian-launched missile exploded over Jerusalem, and fragments fell near several of the cityʼs holiest sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
According to a statement released by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, fragments of the missile “fell on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Armenian Patriarchate, the Jewish Quarter, and the Temple Mount, near the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The Government of Israel condemned the Iranian regime for “firing missiles at the holy sites of Jerusalem, endangering Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike,” and added that Israel “is acting to protect the faithful of all religions in its capital.”
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein provided details of the incident at a press conference held near the impact site.
“We are here next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A missile from the Iranian regime, a ballistic missile launched from Iran, struck this location,” he stated.
Marmorstein emphasized that the attack directly endangered the cityʼs principal holy sites. “The Iranian regime is targeting the holy sites of Jerusalem. This is a holy site, and the Iranian regime almost destroyed it,” he said.
“Basically, the entire Old City is in danger because of these ballistic missiles fired by Iran against the civilian population and, now, against the holy sites of Jerusalem,” Marmorstein added.
According to the spokesman, the objective of these attacks is to inflict the greatest possible harm on the civilian population. “The defenses are strong, but the intentions and objective of the Iranian regime are clear: they are trying to cause the highest possible number of civilian casualties, and now they are also targeting holy sites in the city of Jerusalem.”
“They are attacking Muslims, they are attacking Christians, and they are attacking Jews,” he emphasized. “Imagine what would have happened if that ballistic missile that landed just meters away had directly struck this holy site. It would be a nightmare.”
What is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?
Historically, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the single most holiest site for the Christians of Jerusalem.
According to Christian tradition, the sanctuary contains the site where Jesus Christ was crucified—known as Golgotha or Calvary—and the tomb where he was buried and from which he rose again on the third day.
The complex was originally built in the 4th century by order of Emperor Constantine, after his mother, Saint Helena, identified the site during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Today, the church’s complex is jointly administered by several apostolic Christian communities — including the Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church— and receives millions of pilgrims each year.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.