A DELEGATION to the Holy Land of representatives of the World Council of Churches was cancelled last week amid fears of open hostilities between Iran and Israel.
Further talks on ceasefire proposals were due to take place on Thursday in a US-led effort to lessen the tension. The deal being discussed involves the release of hostages, as well as an end to the conflict in Gaza. At the time of writing, it was unclear whether Hamas representatives would attend the meeting.
The three states facilitating the negotiations — the US, Egypt, and Qatar — have described the deal as a “final bridging proposal”.
President Biden joined Sir Keir Starmer, President Macron of France, and the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, in making a joint statement on Monday. The statement endorses the current negotiations, and says that “all parties must live up to their responsibilities.”
The leaders back defensive Israeli action “against Iranian aggression and against attacks by Iran-backed terrorist groups”, and call on Iran to “stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack”. The statement also says that “unfettered delivery and distribution of aid is needed”.
The WCC delegation had been planning to make a solidarity visit to the Holy Land last week, but the escalation of tensions in the region meant that it had to be postponed.
Instead, online meetings were held on Wednesday and Thursday of last week.
The general secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, Dr Michel Abs, who was part of the delegation, said that the meetings and the intention to travel were “a sign of solidarity, a sign of love from the international community towards the people of the area who have been suffering for a long time”.
In a meeting with community organisations in occupied Palestinian territories, the general secretary of the East Jerusalem YMCA, Peter K. Nasir, said that Palestinian children were suffering from arbitrary detention.
“Many feel that there is no law, and nobody, to protect us,” he said, and called on Christians to “stand up against injustice”.
The situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem was described by Rifat Kassis, one of the founders of the Christian anti-occupation movement Kairos Palestine.
“We are frankly afraid that we will be pushed out of our areas and our villages by Israel,” he said. He called on world leaders to accept the recent opinion given by the International Court of Justice on the illegality of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory (News, 26 July).
At the start of this month, the Archbishop of Canterbury endorsed the court’s position, and said that Israel was “denying the Palestinian people dignity, freedom, and hope” (News, 9 August).
WCC delegates also spoke with medical staff working in Gaza, church leaders in Israel and Palestine, and the family of Layan Nasir, an Anglican Palestinian from the West Bank city of Birzeit, who has been held in an Israeli prison, without charge or trial, since April (News, 12 April).
In conjunction with the feast of the Assumption on Thursday, Roman Catholics in the Holy Land were encouraged to pray for reconciliation and peace.
This week, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Catholic Custos of the Holy Land, Fr Francesco Patton OFM, called for prayers.