GAZA CITY, Palestine (ABP) — In the latest violence among warring Palestinian factions, a bomb severely damaged the Palestinian Bible Society building April 15 in Gaza City.
The building, located in the city center, housed the Teacher’s Bookshop, Gaza’s only Christian bookstore. The building also includes a library and a community development center. It is the base for one of the largest relief agencies in the Gaza Strip.
In February 2006, two pipe bombs were placed by unknown terrorists and then detonated in front of the shop. Following that attack, according to Christianity Today, the workers received a letter demanding the shop close permanently. The Bible Society defied that mandate, reopening the store five weeks later.
The Palestinian Bible Society, which has been operating in the Gaza Strip since 1999, is reported to have a good relationship with nearby Muslims. The society reported that Muslim neighbors assisted in the cleanup operation. Founded in 1998, the Teacher’s Bookshop sells Bibles and Christian books. It also offers public computer classes to the 1.4 million people in Gaza. The Bible Society also works in refugee camps, microenterprise operations and development projects.
