Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan Nahoum, has faced backlash for claiming that there are no churches or Christians in Gaza.

These remarks followed her ignorance of reports about an Israeli Occupation army sniper shooting two Christian Palestinian women inside a church, where Gazans seek refuge from ongoing Israeli Occupation bombings.

Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nicholls, had condemned the incident as "cold-blooded murder," challenging the Israeli Occupation government's defense narrative.

In response, Bishop Atallah Hanna, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, refuted Nahoum's claims, emphasizing the Christian presence in Gaza with churches, institutions, and hospitals dating back centuries. He noted that many Christians have sought refuge in churches due to the prolonged Israeli Occupation bombardment.

The controversy stemed from Nahoum's assertion that Hamas expelled all Christians from Gaza, a claim strongly contested by Bishop Hanna. Nahoum, born in London with Moroccan-Jewish origins, has become a spokesperson for the Israeli Occupation government, particularly during the aggression against Gaza, attempting to improve relations with the Arab world.

The discrepancy between her statements and the reality in Gaza has intensified criticism, both locally and internationally.