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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/22/cardinal-pizzaballa-gaza-visit-israel-criticism>
"Israel’s government is pursuing an “unacceptable and morally unjustifiable”
policy in Gaza, the Catholic Latin patriarch of Jerusalem has said after
visiting a church in the territory that was attacked by Israeli forces last
week and meeting survivors.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said he had witnessed extreme hunger on the
brief trip, his first into Gaza this year, and described Israeli blocks on food
and medical shipments as a “sentence” for starving Palestinians.
“Humanitarian aid is not only necessary, it is a matter of life and death,” he
told journalists in Jerusalem after the visit. “Every hour without food, water,
medicine and shelter causes deep harm.”
Pizzaballa travelled to Gaza with the Greek Orthodox patriarch Theophilos III,
in a show of cross-denominational solidarity after the attack on the Holy
Family church that killed three people and injured nine others including the
priest, Gabriel Romanelli, who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope
Francis.
The cardinal accused Israel’s government of pursuing a war without
justification, and warned against plans to force Palestinians to leave the
territory, which are backed by much of the Israeli cabinet.
“We need to say with frankness and clarity that this policy of the Israeli
government in Gaza is unacceptable and morally we cannot justify it,” he said.
“There can be no future based on captivity, displacement of Palestinians or
revenge.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
