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Anglican diocese praises hospital ‘heroes’ as Gaza ceasefire begins

20 January 2025

Alamy

Palestinians return to Rafah, in the south of Gaza, on Monday

Palestinians return to Rafah, in the south of Gaza, on Monday

SUNDAY marked the start of the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the first group of hostages under the agreement that was finally reached on Friday. Its fate had hung in the balance until the Israeli government voted on its terms, despite the announcement by mediators on Wednesday evening (News, 16 January).

Three hostages held by Hamas were released to Israel. Ninety Palestinian prisoners were also released. A further 30 hostages taken from Israel on 7 October 2023 are due to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for about 1900 incarcerated Palestinians

Tearfund’s regional director for the Middle East, Safa Hijazeen, said on Sunday that the international community “must put pressure on both sides to stick to the ceasefire agreement, allowing people to mourn their dead and start to rebuild their lives”.

He called for aid workers to be given unhindered access to Gaza, as some of the almost two million people displaced in the territory attempt to return to their homes — if those homes are still standing. The UN estimates that 160,000 housing units in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli bombardment, and a further 276,000 have been severely or partially damaged.

The Anglican diocese of Jerusalem released a statement on Sunday, asking supporters to pray that political leaders in the region “invest as much of their political and financial capital towards peacebuilding as they tragically have in waging warfare over these past many months — and in the decades preceding”.

The statement says that only through “a transformative change of hearts . . . can there emerge a just and lasting peace between the peoples of the Holy Land”.

Partners and donors of the diocese are thanked for their support of the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which has remained open throughout most of the war despite bombing and critical shortages of supplies. The staff and volunteers at the hospital, the statement says, are the “true heroes of this disastrous chapter in our region’s history”.

On Monday, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, urged “all parties to the agreement will reject the fatalistic notion that this conflict is intractable”, and to instead commit to a “meaningful political progress towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”

Dr Francis-Dehqani returned from a visit to the Holy Land on Friday. For those she had met “who feel utterly exhausted and traumatised by this 15-month war, the announcement of a ceasefire-hostage agreement will be very welcome indeed, even if it creates fresh anxieties about the future,” she said. 

This week’s Church Times podcast will feature an interview with Dr Francis-Dehqani about her trip, the prospects for peace in the Middle East, and the role of the Church.

On Sunday, Pope Francis welcomed the return of hostages. “I pray a lot for them and their families,” he said in his Angelus address.

The Pope called for humanitarian aid to be facilitated in Gaza, and for all sides in the conflict to say “yes to dialogue, yes to reconciliation, yes to peace”.

Sir Keir Starmer also celebrated the return of hostages and called for an influx of aid into Gaza, but said: “We must not forget about those who remain in captivity under Hamas.”

One of the three hostages released on Sunday was a British woman, Emily Damari, held since 7 October 2023. Her mother, Amanda Damari, said on Monday that Ms Damari was “doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated”.

“The ceasefire must continue and every last hostage must be returned to their families,” Amanda Damari said.

Read more on this story in Leader comment and Paul Vallely 

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