GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem issued an urgent humanitarian appeal on Friday, emphasizing that the scale of the tragedy unfolding before the world in Gaza Strip represents a flagrant violation of human conscience and a challenge to moral and religious values. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost, entire neighborhoods have turned to rubble, while children, the elderly, and the sick face suffering beyond description, illustrating the cruelty of the tragedy endured by the people of Gaza Strip.
In light of this profound pain, the statement expressed a firm rejection of what it described as the imminent danger posed by proposals for mass forced displacement, considering it a direct assault on human dignity and fundamental human rights. The Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, who have lived in this land for centuries, must not be forced to leave their homes, uprooted from their roots, or deprived of what remains of their homes, heritage, and existence on their land.
The statement highlighted the seriousness of the current situation and stressed the importance of supporting the firm positions taken by King Abdullah II of Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and other leaders who have shown a clear and steadfast stance against any attempt to uproot the people of Gaza Strip from their land.
The patriarchs and heads of churches praised the role these leaders play in raising their voices in international forums, providing humanitarian aid, and insisting on protecting civilians in Gaza Strip, affirming that these efforts reflect the highest forms of responsible leadership that reject forced displacement and ethnic cleansing under any circumstances.
From this moral and humanitarian stance, the statement called for the immediate release of all prisoners from both sides, so they can return safely to their families, and for decisive action by the international community, governments, and people of conscience to stop the humanitarian bleeding witnessed in Gaza Strip. There is no justification for uprooting an entire people from their land, and no excuse for allowing this tragedy to continue under any pretext.
The statement emphasized that the top priority must be to open safe humanitarian corridors without restrictions or obstacles, to ensure urgent humanitarian aid reaches those in dire need. It stressed that abandoning Gaza Strip at this critical time is a neglect of our shared humanity.
In the midst of this tragic scene, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem called for prayers for the bereaved, the wounded, and all those who remain steadfast in the land of their ancestors.
The statement concluded with a call to establish a just peace that preserves human dignity and guarantees the people of Gaza Strip their right to remain in their homeland, without threat or displacement, asserting that the world today must choose between championing justice or contributing to the silence that allows injustice to persist.
