HOLY LAND: Christian clerics defy ‘certain death’ evacuation orders to stay with their flock
Christian ministers in Gaza are defying evacuation orders that could mean “destruction and death” for those who don’t leave.
Israel’s military ordered the evacuation of Gaza City’s one million inhabitants ahead of a ground offensive to seize control of the area.
The Latin (Roman Catholic) and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem have called for an end to the continued assault on Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages.
In the statement, a copy of which was sent to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Cardinal Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Patriarch Theophilos III say clergy will stay to care for all those who wish to remain in church compounds.
They added people living in St Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church and the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church should make up their own minds about what to do, but that for many evacuation would mean death.
The Patriarchs said: “Like other residents of Gaza City, the refugees living in the facilities will have to decide according to their conscience what they will do.
“Among those who have sought shelter within the walls of the compounds, many are weakened and malnourished due to the hardships of the last months.
“Leaving Gaza City and trying to flee to the south would be nothing less than a death sentence.”
When the conflict began in October 2023, Christians took refuge in both churches.
Around 550 Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox, are still living in the Holy Family’s compound, including more than 70 people with disabilities cared for by the Missionaries of Charity. An additional 150 are sheltering in St Porphyrius.
The Patriarchs said: “For this reason, the clergy and nuns have decided to remain and continue to care for all those who will be in the compounds.”
Christians sheltering in the compounds have been killed, most recently in an Israeli strike in July, which left three dead and several wounded in the Catholic church.
Patriarchs Pizzaballa and Theophilos III added: “We do not know exactly what will happen on the ground, not only for our community, but for the entire population.
“We can only repeat what we have already said: There can be no future based on captivity, displacement of Palestinians or revenge.
“We echo what Pope Leo XIV said a few days ago: ‘All peoples, even the smallest and weakest, must be respected by the powerful in their identity and rights, especially the right to live in their own lands. and no one can force them into exile’.”
The Patriarchs appealed for an “end this spiral of violence, to put an end to war and to prioritise the common good of the people”.
They called on the international community to “act for an end of this senseless and destructive war, and for the return of the missing people and the Israeli hostages”.
They said: “There has been enough devastation, in the territories and in people’s lives. There is no reason to justify keeping civilians as prisoners and hostages in dramatic conditions. It is now time for the healing of the long-suffering families on all sides.”