“[The Almighty] makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he
burns the shields with fire. He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the
nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”(Psalm 46:9–10)

Along with millions living throughout our war-torn region, and hundreds of millions around the globe,
We, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, rejoice at the recent enactment of the ceasefire
in Gaza, and the release of those held captive.
We would like to take this opportunity to recognize the enormous efforts of all those in the international
community who worked relentlessly to accomplish this major achievement. We hope and trust that this
first stage of the ceasefire truly signals the end of the Gaza War, and that any further disagreements
between the parties will be resolved through negotiation and mediation, applying the utmost restraint,
rather than the resumption of hostilities. Indeed, our region as a whole has suffered long enough to
contemplate otherwise. Now is clearly the time to embark upon the very long pathway of healing and
reconciliation that is so profoundly needed between Palestinians and Israelis.
We are especially encouraged by the commitment demonstrated by the participants of the Sharm El-
Sheikh Summit marking the commencement of this agreement, and by many other international actors,
and we hope that this impressive global mobilization will soon materialize into a wide-scale humanitarian
operation that offers immediate relief to the Palestinians of Gaza and to other communities in our region
that continue to suffer displacement, death, injuries, hunger, and loss of livelihood. We therefore call for
a rapid surge into the Gaza strip and other affected communities of not only food, clean water, fuel, and
medical supplies, but also temporary shelters and medical facilities—all as a prelude to a speedily enacted
and exhaustive program for the massive clearing and rebuilding of destroyed homes, businesses, and
civilian infrastructure.
At the same time, we continue to view with great concern the increasing violence against local
communities in the West Bank in connection with settlement expansions there. We therefore appeal to the
concerned parties and the international community as a whole to widen the scope of the current
negotiations to include an end of the Occupation of both the West Bank and Gaza, leading to the
establishment of a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace with the present State of Israel. Only in
this way, we believe, will a just and lasting peace be truly established in the Holy Land and throughout the
larger Middle East.
We would also like to give a special word of encouragement to those living inside St. Porphyrios Orthodox
Church and Holy Family Catholic Church, as well as those serving at Al-Ahli Anglican Hospital: Your
perseverance in faith amidst the immeasurable hardships of the past two years has served as a shining
example for us all. We pledge to you our continued prayers and support, where we will work diligently to
ensure that the weeks and months ahead will be a vindication of your trust in God’s divine providence.
In this spirit, we join with our fellow Christians and others of goodwill around the world in giving thanks
to the Almighty for leading us to this auspicious moment, even as we realize that the work of
peacebuilding has only just begun. May God grant us all the grace to rededicate ourselves to this vital task,
shepherding us toward that golden age of peace so long envisioned by the prophets and sages of old—and
for which our Lord Jesus Christ himself gave up his own life, rising to new life beyond the grave.
—The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem