His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa in a Letter to the Diocese of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Prot. N. (1) 2291/2025
To the Diocese of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Dear brothers and sisters,
May the Lord give you peace!
For two years, the war has absorbed most of our attention and energy. By now, everyone is sadly aware of what has happened in Gaza: continued massacres of civilians, starvation, repeated displacement, limited access to hospitals and medical care, lack of hygiene, without forgetting those who are being held against their will.
For the first time, anyway, the news is reporting a possible new positive development: the release of [Israeli] hostages, of some Palestinian prisoners and the cessation of bombing and military offensives. This is an important and long-awaited first step. Nothing is entirely clear or definite yet; many questions remain unanswered, and much still needs to be defined. We must not delude ourselves, but we are pleased that something new and positive is on the horizon.
We await the moment to rejoice for the families of the hostages, who will finally be able to embrace their loved ones. We hope the same for Palestinian families, who will be able to embrace those returning from prison. We rejoice above all for the end of hostilities, which we hope will not be temporary and will bring relief to the inhabitants of Gaza. We rejoice for all of us, because the possible end of this horrible war, which now seems very close, will finally mark a new beginning for everyone—not only [Israelis] and Palestinians, but also the whole world. However, we must remain realistic. Much remains to be done to give Gaza a peaceful future. The cessation of hostilities is only the first—necessary and indispensable—step on a treacherous path in a context that remains problematic.
We must not forget, moreover, that the situation continues to deteriorate in the West Bank as well. Our communities now face all kinds of problems daily, especially in small villages, which are increasingly surrounded and suffocated by settler attacks, without sufficient protection from the security authorities…
This letter was originally published on the Website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, click here to read more.