At least 112 Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Friday, most of them women and children, victims of three separate strikes on schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, Israel has ordered more forced expulsions from southern Gaza, bringing to 280,000 the number of Palestinians displaced since Israel broke the ceasefire in Gaza on March 18.
Ever since the onset of the Israeli/Hamas war in Gaza in October 2023, and even recently, despite his hospitalization and medical treatment for pneumonia, Pope Francis has tirelessly called for a solution to the war and appealed for a stop to bombardments on civilians in Gaza.
Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD‘s country representative for the Middle East, spoke to Vatican Radio about the Charity’s appeal for an end to the war and its humanitarian response to the crisis.
“We do not believe that war will bring security or peace for Israelis or Palestinians,” Funnell said, “But we do know for sure that it will cause further suffering and loss of life, and it will most likely delay or prevent the release of the remaining hostages.”
Since the resumption of Israeli strikes last month, over 1,100 people have been killed, many of them women and children. Medical personnel, emergency responders, and journalists have also lost their lives. In the last two weeks, intense airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of hundreds, with reports indicating that more than 300 of those killed were children.
“Just one day, 18 March, is probably the most deadly day for Palestinians in the conflict so far,” she continued, noting that “airstrikes killed more than 400 Palestinians. And alongside this huge loss of life, there is a great sense of sadness and disappointment.”
Need for ceasefire
During the recent ceasefire, there was a glimmer of hope, Funnell noted, adding that “People in Gaza often talk about the noise of war—the drones, airstrikes, shelling”. That, she continued, creates a constant fear, making it impossible to sleep properly.
The ceasefire provided a brief moment of respite: “For the first time in many months, people were able to start returning to their homes, begin to think about rebuilding or repairing.” Markets began to function again as more aid entered Gaza.
However, since early March, the situation has reversed. “No supplies have entered—no food, no fuel. All those supplies that are so urgently needed for shelter repairs have been blocked,” Funnel explained, and the humanitarian response has been severely limited.
She noted that the UN’s World Food Programme announced this week that “they have run out of flour and have had to close their bakery.”
All this, she continued, as the humanitarian catastrophe is compounded by Israel’s plans to expand military operations further into Gaza.
Displacement and violations of International Law
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated earlier this week that “Israel intends to seize large areas of Gaza,” Funnell noted, and Prime Minister Netanyahu “was saying that Israeli forces would capture another corridor of land in the south of the Gaza Strip.”
She noted that already, since October 2023, Israeli forces have already taken control of so-called buffer zones around Gaza, accounting for about 17% of the land. This, Funnell said, is an alarming percentage given Gaza’s small size and the high population density.
“This is deeply concerning because we are seeing immediate and mass displacement happening right now.”
Since the end of the ceasefire, around 140,000 people have been displaced again, and large-scale displacement is happening now, especially in Rafah in southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are moving.
“Many of these people have already been displaced multiple times, each time they are displaced they have fewer resources to support themselves with,” Funnell noted.
Highlighting the far-reaching implications of these actions, the CAFOD official said, “We strongly condemn any proposals that would lead to permanent displacement or seek to remove Palestinians from their land. We are working with others to urge our government and other governments to act decisively to condemn and take action to prevent this from continuing.”
