29/03/2025
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine has condemned the continued suffering of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, where, for the second consecutive year, Eid al-Fitr arrives amid deep sorrow, loss, displacement, and starvation. The committee held the international community responsible for enabling Israel to carry out one of the most horrific crimes of the modern era.
In a statement issued by Dr. Ramzi Khouri, member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, the committee denounced the Israeli occupation’s unrelenting brutality, which has trampled upon the very foundations of humanitarian values. It accused global powers of turning a blind eye to the systematic starvation, bombardment, and forced displacement of an innocent people.
The statement further highlighted Israel’s military aggression in the occupied West Bank, particularly targeting refugee camps in Tulkarm and Jenin. Tens of thousands have been forcibly displaced, while hundreds have been killed and arrested. Meanwhile, Israel continues to accelerate its settlement expansion and the Judaization of Jerusalem, all while committing grave violations against civilians and desecrating Muslim and Christian holy sites in an effort to assert control over them.
The committee warned that these dire circumstances demand an urgent and resolute response from the Arab and Islamic world. It called for decisive action against the Israeli right-wing government’s policies, which seek to dismantle Palestinian aspirations for Independence and self-determination through forced displacement, land confiscation, and the systematic destruction of any foundation for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Addressing the international community, the committee urged world leaders and institutions to fulfill their moral and legal obligations by putting an end to Israel’s ongoing genocide. It called for immediate measures to protect the Palestinian people, withdraw all forms of support from the Israeli occupation, and hold accountable the political and military leaders and settler militias responsible for the ongoing crimes of killing, displacement, and settlement expansion.
Finally, the committee paid tribute to the resilience of the Palestinian people, applauding their unwavering commitment to their homeland and their holy sites. It expressed hope that justice would prevail, praying for mercy upon the martyrs, healing for the wounded, and the swift release of prisoners so that future occasions may be marked by peace, freedom, and the fulfillment of Palestinian legitimate aspirations.
