Tag: Israel-Hamas War

Historic momentum is felt across the Middle East as thousands gathered 11 October in Tel Aviv, Israel, for the last mass gathering before the hostage release expected to take place 13 October, and tens of thousands of Palestinians started to make their way back to their homes in northern Gaza Strip.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem welcomed "with joy" the announcement of an initial agreement between Hamas and Israel in an 9 October statement, but also stressed the "absolute urgency" for the "immediate" and "unconditional" entry of humanitarian relief and sufficient aid into Gaza.

The Hamas attack on Israel two years ago "was inhuman and indefensible," the Vatican secretary of state said, and Israel's two-year-long war on Gaza has had "disastrous and inhuman consequences."

President Donald Trump released a 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war 29 September, which was met with cautious optimism from some world leaders and skepticism from others as it remained to be seen whether Hamas would accept the agreement amid increasing international concern about humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

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.

As violence and starvation deepen in Gaza, the pastor of the area's only Catholic church told a pontifical charity, "We remain in the hands of the Lord."

Ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas will have "dire consequences" for civil society's future and is likely to worsen the region's tensions for another generation, Bishop A Elias Zaidan, chair of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, said in a statement following the breakdown of a ceasefire agreement in the Holy Land.

The world is rightly celebrating the recently announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and anxiously waiting to see if the agreement holds.

On 19 January, crowds gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, celebrating the release of Israeli hostages, people crying with joy watching live feed from their road to freedom.

As the 15-month devastating war reached a point of a ceasefire 15 January, US Bishop A Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon expressed hope and optimism following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, viewing it as a significant step toward peace in a region long marred by violence.

As news spread about a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Catholic leaders in the region expressed cautious optimism, while also stressing the importance of peace and addressing humanitarian concerns.

After more than a year of war and thousands killed or wounded, negotiators representing Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal.