As the Israel-Hamas war nears its third year with no end in sight, Lebanese Bishop Mounir Khairallah is urging forgiveness as the only path to peace.
Speaking at a peace summit in Poland just before renewed fighting erupted in Gaza, Bishop Khairallah shared a deeply personal story: At age 5, he lost both parents – murdered by a man they had welcomed into their home. And yet, guided by faith, he forgave.
In a conversation with OSV News, the bishop said peace requires stepping beyond political interests and choosing reconciliation over revenge.
“Our people no longer want war,” he said, calling for leaders to listen to the voices of ordinary Israelis, Palestinians and Lebanese who yearn for peace, a “desire that we all carry together.” He believes forgiveness – not force – is the seed of lasting peace.
He said in the Middle East today peace cannot be achieved “through violence, through force, through weapons, and through wars.”
“Living together is always possible,” he said, adding that Christians are called to be witnesses of Christ’s love – even in the heart of conflict. “We can build peace together.”
