A delegation from the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine took part in the 40th-anniversary conference of Churches for Peace in the Middle East (CMEP). The delegation included members of the advisory committee: Reverend Dr. Mitri Raheb, Reverend Dr. Jack Sara, and MS. Shireen Awwad.
The delegation acknowledged CMEP’s significant contributions and its executive director, Reverend Dr. Mae Cannon in striving for peace and justice, as well as its ongoing support and advocacy for the Palestinian people and their just cause.
The delegation briefed the conference attendees on the latest political developments in Palestine, specifically highlighting the Israeli unfolding genocide in Gaza and the targeting of innocent Palestinians, including women and children. The Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip has resulted in the killing of nearly 40,000 Palestinians and the wounding of more than 80,000. Additionally, the delegation highlighted Israel’s systematic destruction of educational, social and medical infrastructure, which forced many hospitals to collapse threating the lives of those with chronic illnesses, amid the spread of disease.
The delegation stressed the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which is rapidly deteriorating and poses significant risks to the lives of many Palestinians. There is a looming threat of severe famine due to the lack of access to humanitarian aid, particularly in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The delegation called upon CMEP to pressure relevant parties to stop the war on the Gaza Strip, allow the immediate entry of humanitarian and medical aid, and work towards finding a just solution to the Palestinian cause to establish lasting peace.
On the sidelines of the conference, the delegation met with various political and religious leaders, and members of the US Congress, providing them with an overview of the challenging conditions faced by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the occupied Jerusalem.
