Jerusalem:

Amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa has made an urgent appeal for financial assistance. In a statement seeking funds to help suffering residents of the Gaza Strip, the top prelate said, "Charity and prayer animate the entire extended family of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, especially during times of extreme hardship.”

He said they were facing a crisis that affects “countless families from different religions and all institutions including schools, hospitals and parishes”. The cardinal said that in Gaza, their material resources extend beyond the walls to “include our suffering neighbors and to those who took refuge in other locations.

We share practically everything from food and water to medicines and supplies.”
The patriarch said they have learned in this difficult time that to “rebuild the physical world” one needs to build and protect trust between people. He also recollected how people were magnanimous enough to support the Patriarchate when there were similar crises in the region. He was making an allusion to the COVID pandemic, the Beirut port explosion and the devastating earthquake in Syria when the Patriarchate rose to the occasion to rush aid to the ailing population.

The blockade by the Israeli armed forces and the ongoing conflict are causing untold woes to the population of Gaza. The loss of jobs has aggravated the economic woes pushing many families to the periphery.

There are also reports that Israeli raids have hit a Catholic school run by the Sisters of the Rosary in Tel al Hawa suburb of Gaza City. The attacks have caused damage to the structure and the courtyard of the school which has 1,250 students, who are mostly Muslims.