Member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, has sent letters, on behalf of the committee, to leaders and representatives of churches and Christian organizations worldwide regarding Israel’s actions in northern Gaza, which amount to genocide and forced mass displacement as, part of a broader agenda aimed at ethnically cleanse the remaining population in the area.
In the letters, the committee articulated that Palestinians, particularly those in northern Gaza, are enduring unimaginable suffering caused by the Israeli occupation, which has initiated a new wave of military aggression, the third in the same war-torn region within a year marked by genocide and forced displacement across the entirety of Gaza.
The committee stressed that it is imperative to unify and intensify efforts to protect the Palestinian people and uphold the sanctity of their lives and dignity, which are being systematically violated by the Israeli military’s campaign of killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement. This represents a defense of universal human values that we must pass on to future generations.
The committee provided a detailed account of the dire situation faced by Palestinians in northern Gaza, including a stringent blockade that restricts access to medical, food, and essential supplies, as well as the targeting of hospitals, the shelling and burning of schools turned shelters, and the destruction of residential blocks, such as the recent devastation in Beit Lahia that resulted in the killing 87 Palestinians killed.
It highlighted that Gaza has become a graveyard, not only for the Palestinian people and human conscience but also for international humanitarian law and human rights conventions. This tragic reality stems from the international community’s inaction and the failure of its institutions to intervene and prevent this ongoing genocide. The toll has exceeded 42,000 martyrs, with 10,000 individuals reported missing and tens of thousands more wounded.
Addressing the plight of Palestinian Christians in Gaza, the committee pointed to the shelling of St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church and the attack on the Holy Family Latin Church, which resulted in dozens of casualties and injuries among Palestinian Christians. Additionally, the Al Ahli Arab (Baptist) hospital, which is affiliated with the Anglican Episcopal Church and the Holy Family School have also been targeted. The complete destruction of the Orthodox Cultural Center, along with attacks on the Rosary Sisters’ School and damage to the facilities of the YMCA, further illustrate the widespread impact of the Israeli aggression.
The committee called upon church leaders and representatives to urgently press their respective governments to put an end to this ongoing catastrophe. The committee urged immediate action to compel Israel to halt its genocidal practices, end the occupation, and hold accountable those responsible for these acts of aggression, in line with the recent resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, the International Court of Justice’s decisions, and the arrest warrants issued by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
The committee appealed for the swift rescue of thousands of Palestinians fleeing the specter of death, along with those who are suffering in fear without shelter, food, or medical care due to the Israeli bombardment and blockade.
In conclusion, the committee reiterated that the Palestinian people, both Muslims and Christians, share a common aspiration to end their prolonged suffering. They seek to live in peace, dignity, and freedom within an independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital. This vision is consistent with relevant international resolutions that call for the immediate end of the occupation without preconditions, emphasizing that true peace and security cannot be achieved while the occupation persists.
