A year of grief and loss for our partners in Gaza and the West Bank
It has been over a year since the horrific Hamas attacks in Israel and the start of the devastating war in Gaza. For our Christian partners and friends in Gaza and the West Bank it's been a year of violence, fear, loss and death. They have lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones. Life in their communities, that was already one of injustice and oppression became, as our friend Ramy described, ‘like a horror movie’.
A YEAR OF GRIEF FOR OUR PARTNERS
The raw emotion and grief felt is palpable in recent statements released by our partners. The Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees of the Middle East Council of Churches (DSPR-MECC) said:
“For twelve agonizing months, the Palestinians in Gaza have lived under Genocide, unprecedented devastation, supported by a media machine that practiced lying and forgery, the Palestinians homes reduced to rubble, and their lives shattered by the systemic brutality of a relentless war machine, where they are chased by fire from one place to another… The lives of the Palestinians, especially in Gaza are not collateral damage; they are human beings, enduring unspeakable violence…”
And Caritas Jerusalem:
“The suffering of the community is palpable: parents pleading for their malnourished children, the desperate cries of Gazans to end the war, and the overwhelming presence of death in Gaza. In the West Bank, breadwinners struggle to provide even the most basic necessities—food, healthcare, education—for their families.”
Destruction in Gaza in May 2024, viewed by His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
OUR PARTNERS CONTINUE TO LIVE OUT THEIR FAITH
These strong and challenging words from our partners are a reminder of the pain that is being felt by those living with the daily reality of this war. For a year now they have been witnessing the human suffering which continues to increase on a daily basis across the region. As Christians they continue, though, to be sustained by the hope of the Gospels and to live out their faith:
“As DSPR, we reaffirm our Christian Witness in the time of adversity and our solid commitment to stand with the oppressed people across Palestine and in the countries of refuge, to copy the model of our Savior in standing beside the poor, the neglected and the marginalized, by doing all that we can to ease their suffering and to provide.”
New DSPR-MECC opened in September 2024 in Nusirat, in the central Gaza strip.
“Our interventions are offered to the most needy communities and to the Christian Community in the Churches. Tens of thousands of the displaced people have been offered medical services, psychosocial support, health awareness and hygiene kits distribution… We established new clinics and medical points to replace the destroyed ones… our Heroes continue their work despite being displaced several times, they and their families, losing everything like homes, property, dreams and even lives…”
Caritas also remains committed to their mission of peace and hope:
“Amidst of this suffering, we remain committed to our mission of peace and hope. We continue to advocate for an immediate ceasefire, the opening of humanitarian corridors, the protection of civilians and aid workers, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the freedom of Israeli hostages.”
THE COMPLICITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN THE VIOLENCE
They ask us to stand with them and to add our voices to the cries for peace and justice – to consider that the appalling tragedy of spiralling violence that has unfolded across the region is one in which the international community is complicit:
“DSPR condemn the Israeli crimes against God’s Creation, which have inflicted unimaginable suffering on the Palestinian people and left Gaza in ruins. The deliberate targeting of civilians, the destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the use of collective punishment are grave violations of international law and basic human rights. These acts of aggression, fuelled by the complicity of other countries and their silence in the face of injustice, have allowed Israel to act with impunity.
“The people of Gaza remain trapped under “total siege” … deprived of their basic needs for dignified life, stripped of their human rights, and left to suffer while the world system watches in silence. This is not just a war; it is a grotesque testament to the global disregard for human life.”
AS CHRISTIANS WE MUST BE STEADFAST IN OUR CALLS FOR PEACE, JUSTICE AND MERCY
The calls for UK and church leaders to do more to speak out against what is happening and to take concrete steps to work to bring an end to the conflict have so far had limited success. As Christians we must not be disheartened but must stand steadfast and continue our calls.
At Embrace, we remain committed to a future of equal rights for all people in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. A future where all Palestinians and all Israelis can live peacefully. We will continue to speak out against violence, no matter who is the perpetrator - Hamas, Hezbollah, or the IDF - and call for an end to this war and the occupation.
We ask you to continue to stand with us in support of Palestinian Christians through prayer and by bearing witness to what is happening in the region. Please continue to write to your MP and church leaders and encourage others to do the same. Together we must faithfully continue to raise our voices and sustain the cries for peace, justice and mercy. In the words of St Paul:
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.”
(1 Cor 15:58)
