Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: Israeli drones are flying over the presidential palace in Baabda, Mount Lebanon, and over the skies of the capital, Beirut, and its suburbs.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli warplanes launch a series of raids on the al-Mahmoudiya and Jarmaq areas
Trump reiterates proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop at current front line, negotiate later
Reuters: Trump says no discussion regarding Ukraine ceding Donbas to Russia
US Vice President JD Vance: There is currently no security infrastructure in place to ensure the disarmament of Hamas
Israeli occupation forces said that "ceasefire in Gaza begins to be re-implemented."
Israeli media: 'Israel' to halt entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza until further notice.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: One woman was killed and several children were injured as a result of Israeli bombing of displaced Gazans' tents in the Mawasi area of ​​Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen correspondent in Gaza: An Israeli airstrike targeted the eastern areas of Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen correspondent in Gaza: An Israeli airstrike targeted Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Israeli settlers storm St. Elias Monastery in Haifa twice in one week

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 23 Jul 2023 16:24
  • 4 Shares
3 Min Read

Israeli settlers storm Mar Elias Church and Monastery, in Haifa, occupied Palestine amid confrontations with churchgoers considering these provocative and "barbaric" actions part of the Israeli settlers' attempted Judaization of Palestine.

  • x
  • Palestinian Christians stand in front of the Mar Elias Church and Monastery following confrontations in the face of the provocative and barbaric storming conducting by Israeli settlers on July 23, 2023. (Social Media)
    Palestinian Christians stand in front of the Mar Elias Church and Monastery following confrontations in the face of the provocative and barbaric storming conducting by Israeli settlers on July 23, 2023. (Social Media)

At around 10:00 am, in Haifa, a bus carrying a number of Israeli settlers arrived at Mar Elias Monastery in Al-Quds and attempted to storm the church and take it over. However, Palestinian churchgoers fought back and forced settlers to retreat before the IOF arrived at the scene. 

According to Palestinian media, this is not the first incident of its kind. In fact, Israeli settlers attempted to storm the same church twice. Wadih Abu Nasser, advisor and media spokesperson of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, was asked if there would be a framework set in place to defend the church and protect the Christian Palestinian community that attends mass there.

To that point, Abu Nasser said that the monastery is looking into "setting up gates around the perimeter, in such a way that when anyone storms or crosses over the gate, they can legally hold them accountable given that at this point the Israeli Occupation Forces has been, under the pretense on unclear perimeters, allowing settlers to cross into the monastery."

وديع أبو نصار مستشار لعدد من الكنائس في البلاد للجرمق: "نحن نخطط لوضع بوابات على كنيسة دير مار إلياس حتى نحدد ما هي حدود الدير لأن الشرطة الإسرائيلية تدعي أن هذه منطقة مفتوحة". pic.twitter.com/3vTTnP4XpB

— الجرمق الإخباري (@aljarmaqnet) July 23, 2023

News website Arab 48 reported that around 50 settlers attempted to storm the church, including members of the Zionist 'La Familia' organization, consisting primarily of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish settlers, who arrived at the Mar Elias Monastery and attempted to raid the church and its premises but were confronted by Palestinians present in the church. Despite the attempt to resist the storming of the church, the Zionist groups were able to enter the church and conduct provocative rituals for about 20 minutes.

Related News

Al-Houthi slams Gaza blockade, warns against disarmament, aggression

YAF launch drone strikes on Israeli targets in Yafa, Askalan, Haifa

Read more: Archbishop Hanna: Our churches are open to those that lost their homes

One Palestinian present during the incident said, "The storming of Mar Elias Church was not spontaneous. There is planning for this storming. There are no Jewish graves in this church. Their argument is invalid."

Earlier on July 18, during the first storming this week, and as reported by Arab 48, a Palestinian present at the scene stressed that "The attack on the church and monastery of Mar Elias targets our Arab-Palestinian presence in Haifa and the coast," and urged all churches, organizations, institutions, parties and national [Palestinian] movements to "confront and prevent the Judaization of the monastery and church in Haifa."

In turn, the Palestinian Al-Jarmaq news website indicated on Sunday, that "this attack is the latest in a series of continuous attacks on churches in Haifa and other cities, and these groups receive support from the current Israeli government, but the people of Haifa will defend themselves against these attacks and we will not sit idly by, and we will defend our Palestinian sanctities and landmarks."

The Islamic-Christian Committee in Support of Al-Quds and its Sanctuaries also condemned, on July 19, what it called “the barbaric attack” against the Church and Monastery of Mar Elias in the city of Haifa, saying that "the storming of the church by Jewish religious groups, holding biblical prayers inside it, and claiming that there are graves for Jews in the church constitutes an unprecedented and serious escalation and violation of the holy places of Palestinian Christians."

Moreover, the committee added that "The claim that there are graves for Jews in churches devotes pretexts to seizing and Judaizing them, and it is an aggressive approach that complements what they are doing in Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Read more: The Future of Arab Christians: One path, one destiny

  • Haifa
  • Occupied Palestine
  • Palestine
  • Arab Christians
  • Palestinian Christians
  • Mar Elias Church and Monastery

Most Read

Iran strikes secret Israeli-US bunker under Tel Aviv high-rise

Tel Aviv high-rise struck by Iran hid Site 81, secret US-Israeli base

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Yemeni Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari , during a ceremony in an undisclosed locations in Yemen, undate (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemeni Armed Forces mourn martyred Chief of Staff al-Ghamari

  • Politics
  • 16 Oct 2025
Israeli occupation violates Gaza ceasefire, killing seven Palestinians.

Israeli occupation violates Gaza ceasefire, kills seven Palestinians

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Zionists Fundamentally Misread Iran Due To Their Own Echo Chambers

Zionists fundamentally misread Iran due to their own echo chambers

  • Analysis
  • 15 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
UK blocks release of documents on secretive Lammy-Sa’ar meeting.
Politics

UK blocks release of documents on secret Lammy-Sa’ar meeting

Colombia slams Trump’s drug accusation, defends sovereignty
Politics

Colombia slams Trump’s incendiary drug claims, defends sovereignty

The abuse was detailed in Giuffre's memoir "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice." (AP)
Politics

Epstein victim recounts choking, sexual assault by 'well-known PM'

The US Secret Service discovered a hunting stand near the airport President Donald Trump uses in Florida. (US Secret Service)
Politics

FBI probes hunting stand with sightline to Trump’s Air Force One exit

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS