Churches in Jerusalem: Displacement plan for Gaza is inhumane

The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem have added their voices to world’s outcry against President Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians in Gaza to other countries, saying the proposed mass displacement is “an injustice that strikes at the very heart of human dignity.”

In a statement signed, amongst others, by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and by the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton OFM Cap the Church leaders express their full support to the position of King Abdullah II of Jordan and President El-Sisi of Egypt who have slammed the plan.

No to forced exile

“The people of Gaza, families who have lived for generations in the land of their ancestors,” they said, “must not be forced into exile, stripped of whatever is left of their homes, their heritage, and their right to remain in the land that forms the essence of their identity.”

The Churches of Jerusalem assert that as Christians they cannot be indifferent to the suffering endured by the Gazan people “for the Gospel commands us to uphold the dignity of every human being”.

Free all captives

Beyond opposing displacement, the Church leaders advocate for the immediate release of all captives from both sides, recognizing the suffering endured by countless families torn apart by the conflict.

Furthermore, they urge governments, faith communities, and the international community to take swift and decisive action to halt the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip.

Call for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza

They insist that no justification can be given for uprooting a people who have already suffered immeasurably. Instead, they demand immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to those in desperate need, warning that failing to act would be a betrayal of shared human values. “To abandon them now would be to abandon our shared humanity”, they say.

Concluding their plea with a message of faith and hope, the Church leaders of Jerusalem pray for comfort for the mourning, healing for the wounded, and resilience for those who remain in their homeland despite the suffering.

Their final appeal is for a just and lasting peace—one that protects human dignity and ensures the continued presence of all peoples in the land to which they belong.

Strong opposition to Trump’s displacement plan wordwide

President Trump’s proposal to “take over” and redevelop Gaza has met strong opposition from several world leaders and the United Nations who have said it would be an outright violation of international law.

The Holy See and religious leaders across the world have also strongly criticized the plan.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Embassy of Italy to the Holy See on 13 February, Cardinal Secretary Pietro Parolin said one of the “key points” of what must happen in Gaza is “no deportations.” “Whoever was born and has lived in Gaza must remain on their land,” the Cardinal said, reiterating the Vatican’s long-standing call for a two-state solution to resolve the long-running Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In an interview to Italian newspaper L’Eco di Bergamo” on 15 February, the head of the Vatican diplomacy insisted that solutions to conflicts “must never be pursued through unilateral impositions that risk trampling on the rights of entire peoples.”