CNA Staff, Oct 13, 2023 / 18:40 pm
The patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem issued a statement Friday calling on Israel to allow food and medical supplies to enter the Gaza Strip, where “a grave humanitarian crisis has befallen all of us.”
In their joint statement, the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant church leaders also called for stemming the violence that has erupted since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel last weekend, which took the lives of 1,300 Israelis. About 1,900 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict over the past week.
“We call upon all parties to de-escalate this war in order to save innocent lives while still serving the cause of justice,” the joint statement from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant church leaders read.
“Our beloved Holy Land has changed dramatically over the past week,” they said. “We are witnessing a new cycle of violence with an unjustifiable attack against all civilians. Tensions continue to rise and more innocent and vulnerable people are paying the ultimate price as the dramatic level of death and destruction in Gaza clearly show.”