Though much global attention has shifted to the Israel-Iran conflict, the situation between Israel and Gaza has not improved and still needs prayers from people around the world, the vicar general of the Custody of the Holy Land told AsiaNews in a June 14 report.
“There is destruction everywhere,” Father Ibrahim Faltas told the outlet. “Even hospitals are no longer operational. This is one of the reasons why so many people are dying from lack of care, in addition to those lying under the rubble, of whom nothing is known. In Gaza, even the most trivial illness, which elsewhere can be treated with antibiotics and medicines, can be fatal.”
Fr. Faltas noted that the blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza that Israel enacted in early March and eased slightly in May has caused widespread hunger and curtailed the availability of medical treatment.
“…[I]n addition to hunger, which is increasingly becoming a weapon of war, there is also an emergency thirst because there is no drinking water,” he said.
Further, Gaza was hit with an internet blackout for several days last week, which made it difficult to communicate with the only Catholic parish in Gaza, according to Fr. Faltas.
France24 reported that the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority confirmed that the internet began working again June 14 after a three-day blackout. The Palestinian telecommunications officials claimed that the blackout was caused by Israeli forces who targeted a fiber optic cable, and Israel has not commented on this allegation, according to France24.
Amid the tumultuous circumstances in the region, it is crucial to continue fostering hope and praying for peace, Fr. Faltas emphasized.
“One day all this will end, hopefully as soon as possible, even though, since this cursed war began, the news has been getting worse and worse,” he said.
The brief ceasefire in January was the only exception, he added.
“Pray for us, pray for us, and that the international community find a solution,” Fr. Faltas told AsiaNews, “a humane solution to an inhumane situation.”
