Church leaders return with ‘broken hearts’ after rare visit to Gaza

Upon their return from a rare pastoral visit to the Gaza Strip, the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem expressed deep sorrow, describing their hearts as ‘broken’ by the conditions they witnessed. The spiritual leaders recounted a dire humanitarian situation within the beleaguered territory. They observed residents so profoundly affected by widespread starvation that the sounds of ongoing conflict, including bombings, seemed to elicit no visible response. According to their account, individuals appeared utterly preoccupied with their immediate struggle for food, to the extent that explosions no longer caused them to react or even “bat an eyelid.” This disturbing indifference to peril, the patriarchs noted, underscored the extreme level of distress and desperation stemming from chronic hunger amongst the populace. Their visit highlighted the severe human cost of the prevailing crisis, leaving them deeply moved by the suffering endured by the people of Gaza.