Churches in the Holy Land continue to offer shelter in Gaza, calling for an “immediate ceasefire''
Patriarchs and community leaders, along with the archbishop of Canterbury, renew their commitment to “minister to the most vulnerable” in peace as in war, appealing to the international community to protect “hospitals, schools, and houses of worship”. Fr Romanelli mentions the fate of a father who died saving his son by shielding him at St Porphyrius church. A third humanitarian convoy enters the Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources report 400 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – Christian leaders in Jerusalem have renewed their call for peace and protection of civilians amid the ever-increasing violence in a war that threatens to spill over into a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran that would drag the entire Middle East into a devastating conflict.
In a tough message released over the weekend, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches of Jerusalem said that they were “committed to fulfilling our sacred and moral duty of offering assistance, support, and refuge to those civilians” in Gaza. They were joined in prayer by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby who arrived in Jerusalem.
They renewed their support while Gaza’s civilians remain caught between Israeli air strikes and Hamas rockets, which resulted, among others in the bombing of two sites that stand for generosity and togetherness, namely the Anglican-run Al Ahli Arab Hospital and St Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City.
In their statement, the Christian leaders cite the teachings of Jesus who urged the faithful “to minister to the most vulnerable, [. . .] not only in times of peace,” but especially “in times of war”.
At the same time, they acknowledge that this cannot be done alone; for this reason, they appeal once again to the “international community to immediately enforce protections in Gaza for Sanctuaries of Refuge, such as hospitals, schools, and houses of worship.”
In Jerusalem, the heart of the Holy Land, together with the Archbishop of Canterbury, they renewed their call for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire so that food, water, and vital medical supplies can safely be delivered”.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches condemn the Israeli air strike that hit the St Porphyrius, resulting in the collapse of two halls that housed dozens of refugees, women and children included, killed in their sleep and buried in the rubble. “
“At last count, eighteen have died, nine of whom were children, [. . .] the latest instance of innocent civilians being injured or killed as a result of missile strikes against other shelters of last resort,” reads the statement.
“Among these are schools and hospitals where refugees had fled because their homes were demolished in the relentless bombing campaign waged against residential areas in Gaza over the past two weeks.”
The worsening humanitarian situation and the tragedy of civilians is echoed by Fr Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, in a message sent to AsiaNews last night from Bethlehem, where he is waiting for Israel to authorise his return home.
At the Holy Family, religious and laity, together with Catholic and Orthodox parishioners, “try to console those who mourn their dead, healing their wounds and helping everyone," said Fr Romanelli, a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word.
On Saturday evening, “many of the nearly 700 people sheltering in the parish buildings overlooking the street slept inside the place of worship, fearing that they might suffer something similar to what happened in the Orthodox church.
“There were hundreds and the night was long," he explained, "and until 3 am heavy shelling could be heard”. The evacuees "slept only for a few hours."
“We must put a stop to all this" and work with even greater vigour "for peace" because "there have already been too many dead and wounded in Palestine and Israel,” the clergyman insisted.
His message ends with a brief story of death but also hope. "One of the victims (at the Greek Orthodox Church), a family man, was pulled out of the rubble lifeless. One of his young sons was found in his arms, alive, protected by his (father’s) body, like a shield".
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that a third humanitarian convoy entered Gaza today at the Rafah crossing with Egypt. A first shipment of aid arrived on Saturday carried by 20 lorries while a second one with 14 lorries made it into the territory yesterday.
This is a positive step according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, even if it is "a drop" in the bucket of what is needed. For the agency, the situation remains “catastrophic". By contrast, the Israeli military has repeatedly stated that there is no humanitarian emergency in Gaza.
As world leaders try to mediate the release of the 222 Israeli hostages in the hands of Hamas, with Qatar among the most active, the death toll is rising with some 400 Palestinians, many of them civilians, killed in the last 24 hours in Israeli air strikes.
Overall, some 4,651 people have been killed and 14,245 wounded in Gaza while another 1,405 were reported dead (most on the first day, 7 October) and 5,431 wounded in Israel. In the West Bank, at least 95 have died and 1,650 wounded, plus 120 Palestinians arrested in overnight Israeli raids.
(Photo from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
.png)
