As Israel’s ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip continues to leave widespread destruction in its wake, devastating homes, institutions, and vital infrastructure, the suffering of our people is becoming increasingly unbearable. With winter upon us and severe weather conditions intensifying, heavy rainfall is compounding an already catastrophic humanitarian situation, leaving displaced families and those who have lost their homes exposed to the elements and deprived of the most basic necessities of life.
It is in the face of this deepening crisis, and in recognition of our shared humanitarian, moral, and spiritual responsibility, that we address you with this urgent appeal. We call upon churches across the world to stand firmly with our people in Gaza, mobilize their resources, and take immediate and meaningful action to alleviate their suffering.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are enduring appalling humanitarian conditions, with inadequate shelter and acute shortages of essential supplies. An estimated 950,000 displaced people are living in areas vulnerable to flooding, more than 400,000 of whom face particularly high levels of risk. Approximately 270,000 tents are currently sheltering displaced families, many of which have been damaged by heavy rainfall and severe weather. These conditions place the lives of children, infants, older people, and the sick in grave danger. The provision of food, medicine, safe shelter, clean drinking water, and other basic necessities is not simply a matter of assistance; it is an urgent humanitarian obligation and a fundamental requirement for preserving human life and dignity.
Nor have churches and places of worship been spared the devastation. The aggression has reached every aspect of life in Gaza, leaving no stone unturned and showing no regard for human life, property, or the sanctity of religious sites. As heavy rains continue, water has seeped into the Greek Orthodox Church) of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City, underscoring the extent of the destruction and the vulnerability of even the most sacred places of prayer and worship, which stand as enduring witnesses to the region’s rich religious and historical heritage.
The damage sustained by churches in Gaza cannot be viewed in isolation from the wider destruction inflicted upon the Palestinian people, their homes, their heritage, and their collective memory. The occupation, having destroyed homes, uprooted families, and undermined the very foundations of daily life, has also left churches and places of worship exposed to the devastating consequences of its aggression. This reality demands immediate attention and action to safeguard these sacred institutions, preserve their historic and spiritual legacy, and provide the necessary support to repair the damage they have sustained.
We stress that the churches and Christian communities of Gaza are an inseparable part of the Palestinian people and share fully in their suffering. They endure the same realities of war, displacement, and the loss of shelter and security. Protecting the Christian presence in the Holy Land cannot be separated from protecting the Palestinian people and upholding their fundamental rights to life, freedom, and dignity. It also means safeguarding the national, historical, and social fabric of Palestine, of which its churches and Christian communities are an integral and deeply rooted part.
In light of your ecclesiastical and humanitarian responsibilities, we urgently call upon churches worldwide to translate their solidarity into concrete action through the following measures:
• Mobilize and provide urgent humanitarian and relief assistance to the people of Gaza, including food, safe drinking water, medicines, medical supplies, tents, blankets, mattresses, winter clothing, safe heating equipment, and all other essential supplies needed to ensure dignified living conditions. Particular priority must be given to children, infants, older people, and the sick, who remain among the most vulnerable.
• Take immediate action to protect churches, places of worship, and religious and historical sites, and mobilize the necessary resources to assess and repair the damage they have sustained, with particular attention to the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City.
• Strengthen engagement and coordination with church and humanitarian organizations operating in Palestine to facilitate the delivery of assistance and ensure that it reaches the families and communities most severely affected and most urgently in need.
• Use the moral authority and collective voice of the Church to press for urgent international action, calling on your respective governments and international institutions to intervene and ensure the immediate, sustained, and unhindered entry of humanitarian and medical assistance, fuel, and essential supplies into the Gaza Strip.
• Take clear and principled positions in defense of civilians, demanding an end to attacks, respect for international humanitarian law, and the protection of places of worship, holy sites, and religious institutions.
We address you today not merely in the spirit of solidarity, but out of a profound sense of shared responsibility toward human beings whose lives are threatened by death, cold, hunger, and disease, and toward churches and holy sites that preserve a Christian and historical legacy extending across generations in the land of the birth and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer for Gaza must be accompanied by action for its people. Solidarity must go beyond words and expressions of concern; it must be translated into practical, tangible measures that save lives, alleviate suffering, uphold human dignity, and protect the sacred heritage of this land. Children, families, and the sick cannot be left to face the harshness of winter without shelter, food, medicine, or protection. Equally, churches and holy sites must not be left vulnerable to further damage and destruction without the support and intervention needed to safeguard them.
We therefore appeal to churches across the world to act now. Let their voices be heard, their positions be clear, and their actions reflect the urgency and magnitude of this unfolding tragedy. Gaza cannot afford any further delay. Its people have the right to live in safety and dignity, and our shared humanitarian, moral, and spiritual responsibility demands that our prayers and expressions of solidarity be matched by tangible relief, decisive advocacy, and meaningful action.
