JERUSALEM 

The patriarch of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan on Saturday called for urgent international action to stop destruction in the Gaza Strip.

In his message, Theophilos III underscored the gravity of the current challenges facing the Palestinian population, particularly in the middle of regional tensions and conflicts.

It came in a message he sent to the Palestinian people and the world from the city of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, timed with the Christmas according to the Eastern calendar.

Regarding the situation in Gaza, the patriarch expressed "pain and sorrow for the terrifying human losses and the immense destruction affecting the infrastructure."

He urgently called on the international community to intervene promptly, put an end to the ongoing destruction, and, crucially, safeguard human lives – especially those of vulnerable groups such as children and people with special needs.

Theophilos III, highlighting the devastating toll of the conflict, said: "This war has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, predominantly children and women. Entire residential areas, schools, hospitals, places of worship, cultural centers, and historical landmarks have been reduced to ruins, bearing witness to the extent of the atrocities inflicted by oppressive forces."

He said the call to scale back Christmas celebrations to religious rituals only, without festive aspects, is a “message of unity and solidarity, not only to our tormented people in Gaza but also a message to the peoples of the world that we are one people living the same pains and hopes.”

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala