The churches of Jerusalem urge for urgent action to end the suffering in Gaza and to protect the freedom of worship.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan for the Greek Orthodox, Theophilus III, received today, Tuesday, the two members of the U.S. Senate, Senator Chris Van Hollen and Senator Jeff Merkley, in a meeting held at the Orthodox Patriarchate in occupied Jerusalem. The meeting addressed the serious challenges facing Christians in the Holy Land.

During the meeting, Patriarch Theophilus III praised the efforts and initiatives aimed at achieving freedom of worship and ensuring access to holy sites and the practice of religious rituals in Jerusalem and throughout the Holy Land. He emphasized the importance of these initiatives in light of the difficult circumstances faced by Palestinians.

Representatives of the Churches of Jerusalem also reviewed the bombardment and repeated airstrikes on Gaza's churches and the Arab 'Baptist' hospital by the occupying army. They pointed out that these assaults pose a direct threat to the rich church heritage in Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land.

The participants in the meeting also addressed the increasing dangers facing Palestinians in the West Bank, including settler assaults on the town of Taybeh and other areas of the West Bank. They affirmed that these assaults negatively impact the lives of Palestinians and exacerbate their suffering.

There was also discussion about the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli war for two years, where children suffer from deliberate starvation, and innocents are killed under Israeli bombardment. They noted that the specter of forced displacement looms over families exhausted by pain and destruction.

Patriarch Theophilus III affirmed that the call of the churches rises today for the preservation of life and the protection of human dignity, urging the international community to take urgent action to end the suffering in Gaza and ensure freedom of worship for all.