The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has blamed Israel for the overnight bombing of its cultural centre in Gaza City and condemned the “direct and unjustified attack”, AFP reports.

“This attack represents a stark embodiment of Israel’s unwarranted determination to destroy the civil infrastructure and social service centres, as well as shelters for civilians trapped in the besieged enclave,” the church said in a statement, after an AFP journalist saw the bombed out property in Gaza.