Msgr. Jallouf: the drama of Gaza 'worse' than Aleppo for civilian victims

Great attention is focused on the 'northern' front due to the possible involvement of Lebanon and Syria. The fear is that the conflict could inflame the Muslim square and involve other movements, starting with Hezbollah. Today at 3pm in Beirut Nasrallah's awaited speech. The local Church responds to the war with prayer and fasting.

Aleppo (AsiaNews) - From the Syrian perspective, the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is a source of deep concern because "it can fuel new conflicts" and there is a strong risk that it will contribute to "inflaming the entire Middle Eastern region," explains Msgr. Hanna Jallouf, Franciscan, apostolic vicar of Aleppo since early July, according to whom "in Syria and Lebanon there is already a climate of strong fear".

If the army of the Jewish state also attacks from the north "then the possibility of an expansion of the conflict will be high" which will end up "setting the whole Middle East on fire". And then, he fearfully confesses to AsiaNews, it will be "World War III, but we really hope not". In this critical context, "the government of Damascus is still at the mercy of its miseries: let's try to put out the fire inside our house first" avoiding getting involved in other conflicts because there are still many "internal problems".

The conflict in Gaza is "a drama that makes the heart bleed" underlines the vicar, because "we see people suffering and dying, even under the rubble". For years the metropolis of northern Syria, once the economic and commercial capital of the country, was the epicenter of the war and experienced the devastation first-hand.

However, "not even we have experienced such a tragedy or witnessed such terrible murders, especially for children and women." “What we see in Gaza - he continues - is worse than what Aleppo experienced, than what we witnessed in Idlib: we have never reached these levels, especially for civilian victims”.

In recent days the prelate has contacted several times, personally, a nun of the Sisters of the Rosary who remained in the Strip to serve the faithful and collaborate in the reception of displaced people in the Catholic parish of the Holy Family.

“I spoke to sr. Maria-she tells me that she showed me and told me the horrors and enormity of the emergency, of the people who are in hospitals or have found refuge in churches. Thanks to her I saw people in the dark, with nothing, closed inside a fence like sheep, poor people who live in poverty, in fear. Something truly horrible, we hope that the Lord will give them a little warmth, mercy, forgiveness and that true and just peace will finally come."

Out of a thousand Christians remaining in the Strip, at least 5/600 have been hosted by the parish since the beginning of the Israeli military operation in Gaza, also because "it is the only place where they can stay because their homes were destroyed" reports the vicar of Aleppo .

“Then there is the daily struggle - he continues - of finding food, a bit of peace for everyone. They try to make do with their daily needs as best they can, but food is running out and help isn't arriving."

The fear is that the conflict could set fire to the Muslim streets and involve other movements and groups besides Hamas. In this regard, there is great anticipation for the speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, scheduled for three in the afternoon (local time) in Beirut.

A note has been just issued by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which speaks of a "general risk" of a "relapse" at a "regional" level of the war as the Vicar of Arabia had already feared. From the Syrian observatory, Msgr. Jallouf states that for now the Islamic world "remains under control" even if internal clashes between rival factions and with the government army persist in the north of the country.

The spotlight is on Gaza and the Syrian conflict, like the war in Ukraine, "seem forgotten" even if on more than one occasion Israeli fighter jets and drones have recently hit Aleppo and Damascus, in particular airports and militia centers, which have responded to the attacks.

The Syrian Church responds to the drama of the war with prayer and fasting that "I had proclaimed for three days even before Pope Francis did so" says the vicar, "asking the Lord to protect a suffering people".

In Syria as in Lebanon, in the Holy Land "or in Iraq where a disaster is taking place there too" against Christians.

Finally, the prelate [Franciscan and deeply linked to the Holy Land] recalls that "the only thing we can do now is to stop this tragedy and truly live the value of the peace that God has given us, the peace for which Saint Francis worked so hard did. Just as the saint of Assisi was able to tame the wolf - he concludes - we hope that today the wolves that want to fuel the conflict can be tamed".