The patriarchs after their Gaza visit say humanitarian aid ‘is a matter of life and death’
In Jerusalem, a press conference was held upon their return from their visit to the Holy Family Parish, which was attacked by the Israeli army. For Cardinal Pizzaballa, “Men holding out in the sun for hours in the hope of a simple meal [. . .] is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.” Despite this, “Christ is not absent from Gaza. He is there” with “every hand extended to the suffering”. Likewise, Theophilus III reminds “the international community” that “silence in the face of suffering is a betrayal of conscience.”
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa spoke about what he saw with his own eyes during his visit in the Gaza Strip following last Thursday's Israeli army attack on the Church of the Holy Family.
“Humanitarian aid is not only necessary,” he said, “it is a matter of life and death. Refusing it is not a delay, but a sentence. Every hour without food, water, medicine and shelter causes deep harm. We have seen it: Men holding out in the sun for hours in the hope of a simple meal. This is a humiliation that is hard to bear when you see it with your own eyes. It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.”
This is not a second-hand account, but facts the prelate personally saw with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III, during a visit following what the Netanyahu government called an error, a case of “stray ammunition” that killed three people in the compound of Gaza’s only Catholic parish.
Together, Pizzaballa and Theophilos held a highly anticipated press conference in Jerusalem this morning; representatives of all the Christian Churches in the Holy Land were also present, in a show of unity to call for an end to the suffering in Gaza.
In his statement, His Beatitude Theophilos III said, “we entered as servants of the suffering Body of Christ, walking among the wounded, the bereaved, the displaced, and the faithful whose dignity remains unbroken despite their agony.”
“The Church’s mission in times of devastation is rooted in the ministry of presence, of standing with those who mourn, of defending the sacredness of life, and of witnessing to the light that no darkness can extinguish.”
“To the international community, we say: silence in the face of suffering is a betrayal of conscience.”
Echoing his fellow prelate, Card Pizzaballa said: “Patriarch Theophilos III and myself, have returned from Gaza with broken hearts. But also encouraged by the testimony of many people we met. We entered a place of devastation, but also of wonderful humanity.”
During the press conference they showed images of the ruins, collapsed buildings, and tents pitched everywhere: in courtyards, alleys, streets, and on the beach.
“And yet, in the midst of all this, we encountered something deeper than the destruction: the dignity of the human spirit that refuses to be extinguished. We met mothers preparing food for others, nurses treating wounds with gentleness, and people of all faiths still praying to the God who sees and never forgets.
“Christ is not absent from Gaza. He is there — crucified in the wounded, buried under rubble and yet present in every act of mercy, every candle in the darkness, every hand extended to the suffering.”
The two patriarchs did “not come as politicians or diplomats, but as pastors.” Their “mission is not for a specific group, but for all. Our hospitals, shelters, schools, parishes – St. Porphyrius, the Holy Family, the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Caritas – are places of encounter and sharing for all: Christians, Muslims, believers, doubters, refugees, children.”
“We therefore support the work of all humanitarian actors – local and international, Christian and Muslim, religious and secular – who are risking everything to bring life to this sea of human devastation,” Card Pizzaballa said.
“And today we raise our voices in an appeal to the leaders of this region and the world: there can be no future based on captivity, displacement of Palestinians or revenge. There must be a way that restores life, dignity and all lost humanity.” Above all, “Let us not turn peace into a slogan, while war remains the daily bread of the poor.”
These words come just as the expansion of Israel's ground offensive in Deir al-Balah is further worsening the situation in Gaza, a day after the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a harsh response to the appeal of 28 countries, including Great Britain, France, Italy, Australia, and Japan, to "end the war immediately" and guarantee humanitarian law, dismissing the appeal as “disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”
Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that, as of 21 July, 1,054 people were killed in Gaza while trying to obtain food, including 766 killed “in the vicinity” of the sites run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and 288 “around UN and other humanitarian aid convoys.”
The data come from “multiple reliable sources on the ground, including medical teams, humanitarian and human rights organizations. It is still being verified in line with our strict methodology,” reads another UN statement.
Speaking to the United Nations Security Council today, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also stated that the "horror show" experienced by Palestinians in Gaza is unprecedented in recent years.
Speaking about Israel’s intensified operations, he said that "devastation is being layered upon," while “now we are seeing the last gasp of a humanitarian system”.
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