MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. /TASS/. The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem described the bombing of its parish in the Gaza Strip as a "war crime" and blamed Israel for the attack, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement on Friday.

"The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemns in strictest terms the Israeli air strike that hit the territory of its church in the Gaza City. The Patriarchate emphasizes that the church itself and its auxiliary buildings opened their doors to innocent civilians, particularly women and children, who lost their homes as a result of Israeli air strikes on residential districts that have continued over the past 13 days. Strikes on these facilities constitute a war crime that cannot be ignored," the church said in a statement, posed on its website.