Bishop Nichols Hudson of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales has joined Pope Leo and the Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem in condemning the actions of Israel in Gaza.

He said: “I would wish to amplify the Patriarchs’ denunciation of the Israeli government’s actions, of which they say, ‘This is not the right way. There is no reason to justify the deliberate and forcible mass displacement of civilians’.”

The Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem issued a joint statement on Gaza on Tuesday, voicing respect for the clergy and nuns of the two Christian compounds in the neighbourhoods of Gaza City, the Latin parish of the Holy Family and the Greek Orthodox parish of St Porphyrius.

In the face of forced displacement, they have chosen to remain and continue to care for the vulnerable, disabled, and all who shelter in their compounds. Any attempt to flee south was “nothing less than a death sentence”, they said.

Yesterday, Pope Leo XIV also added his voice. Last week he had called for a day of prayer and fasting for peace, which took place on Friday. Yesterday he renewed his appeal both to the parties involved and to the international community, “that an end be put to the conflict in the Holy Land, which has caused so much terror, destruction, and death”.

He also called for the safe entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the protection of civilians. “I appeal for all hostages to be freed, a permanent ceasefire to be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid to be facilitated, and humanitarian law to be fully respected, especially the obligation to protect civilians and the prohibitions against collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations.”

Bishop Hudson said, “I am acutely concerned for Fr Gabriel Romanelli and the community of the Holy Family parish in Zeytoun. Fr Romanelli has worked tirelessly to protect the people sheltering in the parish, especially the children who, he says, are resigned to the horror of what is going on around them. He prays with them and seeks to distract them from the violence. He comforts all who shelter at Holy Family with the sacraments of the Church and the reassurance that Christ holds them and suffers with them. We need now to redouble our prayers for all who remain there. 

“I add my voice to those of the Patriarchs in denouncing the Israeli government’s actions – that this approach is wrong; that it is impossible to justify the deliberate and forcible mass displacement of civilians. For, as the Patriarchs say, ‘There can be no future based on captivity, displacement of Palestinians or revenge.’ 

“No nation can find lasting security while denying justice and integral human rights to its neighbour. This war must end now. The hostages held by Hamas, living and dead, must be returned to their suffering families; and the two million Gazans, ravaged by hunger and bombardment, must receive the food and medical attention they desperately need.”

In their joint appeal for peace in Gaza, the Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem said there was no reason to justify “the deliberate and forcible mass displacement of civilians”. They said the cycle of violence must end and the common good must be prioritised. “There has been enough devastation, in the territories and in people’s lives,” they said. “There is no reason to justify keeping civilians as prisoners and hostages in dramatic conditions. It is now time for the healing of the long-suffering families on all sides.”