Aid agencies, church leaders write to PM calling for permanent ceasefire in Gaza

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CAFOD, Christian Aid and other humanitarian agencies and Christian church leaders from around the world have signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP appealing for peace in Gaza. They say: "enough is enough" as Palestinian families in Gaza are being "wiped out."

They also condemn the vitriolic "crimes of hate" against Jews and Muslims which are "straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts".

The church leaders say: "We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma.

"The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end. We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape."

Since 7 October, more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. 1,200 Israelis have also been killed. During the seven-day pause last week more than 100 Israeli hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinian detainees and some humanitarian aid delivered.

Along with church leaders and other relief agencies, CAFOD is calling on all world leaders to press for a full and permanent ceasefire to come into effect immediately. The charity says this is the only serious option to stop further loss of civilian life and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.

See the full letter and signatories below:

Rt Hon Rishi Sunak

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

No 10 Downing Street, London, SW1P 2AB

November 29, 2023

"My eyes fail from weeping,

I am in torment within;

my heart is poured out on the ground

because my people are destroyed,

because children and infants faint

in the streets of the city."

Lamentations 2:11

Dear Prime Minister,

We have watched in horror and sadness at the devastation unfolding in Palestine and Israel since October 7th. As leaders of Christian communities throughout the world, we join in grief for the Israelis and Palestinians who are mourning loved ones who have died.

Our faith compels us to speak out. To make clear that we oppose violence, whether directed toward Israelis or Palestinians. Even the loss of one more life is one too many. International humanitarian law must be respected and adhered to by all sides.

We welcome the recent announcement about the release of dozens of hostages and a parallel prisoner exchange, in addition to the desperately needed few days of a cessation of violence. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to insist that a long-standing bilateral ceasefire comes to fruition.

We acknowledge the profound and existential grief experienced as a result of the actions of Hamas on October 7 as a tragedy for Jewish people in Israel and around the world. We weep with those who have loved ones held hostage, and we pray for their immediate release.

Like the author of Lamentations, our broken hearts weep as we hear of Palestinian babies in Gaza dying and of the thousands of children who have lost their lives. More than eleven thousand Palestinians have been killed, tens of thousands have been wounded, and 1.6 million have been displaced from their homes and communities.

It is unacceptable that millions of people are in desperate need of clean water, adequate food, fuel for electricity, and urgently needed medical supplies. Without safe drinking water and proper medical supplies, poor hygiene conditions have already led to more preventable deaths, especially among children.

We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape.

The escalation of war cannot be adequately understood without acknowledging the conflict's broader backdrop - ongoing Israeli occupation and the disenfranchisement of Palestinians for more than 70 years. Three-quarters of Palestinian residents of Gaza are refugees dating back to 1948. Before 7 October 2023 had already been on track to be the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the Second Intifada in 2000.

Under the current Israeli government, there has been a significant expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, emboldening Israeli settlers to act with impunity as they attack Palestinians and force them from their homes.

Settler violence has brutally intensified since 7th October, while there has been an increase in abuse, harassment, and discrimination of Palestinian Israeli citizens in Israel. A future where all human dignity in the region is respected looks distant if these realities are not acknowledged.

We stand up ardently against the vitriolic hatred that is being expressed around the world toward Jews, Muslims, and others because of firmly held convictions about the war. We condemn crimes of hate and uphold that all people should be able to live without fear, with security, and with equally protected human rights. We lament how this conflict is straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts.

We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma. The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end.

We are deeply grieved by the complicity of the United States and several other Western countries in the continued violence through efforts to actively oppose a ceasefire, including by vetoing multiple United Nations Resolutions.

Instead, we call on governments worldwide to do everything possible to secure a bilateral ceasefire, one that will stop all violence from Hamas and Israel, allow for the safe release of civilian hostages held in Gaza, and give immediate and adequate access to desperately needed humanitarian aid to be delivered, including through crossings to Israel.

Without an agreed upon end to violence from all parties - there is no path forward. We call on all governments to show support for the protection of all human life, advocating for a just and durable resolution to this crisis in which all Israelis and Palestinians might realize a vision of a just peace, illuminating human dignity, advancing security and self-determination for all.

Yours sincerely,

Christine Allen
Director, CAFOD

Dr Nicola Brady
General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

The Rt Rev Christopher Chessun
The Lord Bishop of Southwark, Church of England

Rt Rev Michael Doe
Assistant Bishop and Preacher to Gray's Inn (London)

Anglican Diocese of Southwark Trustee
The Balfour Project

Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton
Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland

Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson
Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church

John Hill
Interim General Secretary, The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society

The Most Rev Dr Michael Jackson
Archbishop of Dublin, Church of Ireland

Rt Rev Dr Michael Langrish
Former Bishop of Exeter

Tim Livesey
Chief Executive, Embrace the Middle East

Very Rev Andrew RC McLellan, CBE
Former Moderator, General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Rev Gill Newton
President, Conference of the Methodist Church in Britain

Paul Parker
Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain

Father Timothy Radcliffe, OP
Former Master of the Order of Preachers

Rev Chris Rose
Director, Amos Trust

Patrick Watts
Director, Christian Aid

The R. Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells
Deputy Secretary General, Anglican Communion, London

Joyce Ajlouny
General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian
Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate Diocese, Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

Rev David E Bennett
President, Moravian Church Provincial Elders' Conference

Rev Bronwen Boswell
Acting Stated Clerk, General Assembly Presbyterian Church (USA)

Bishop Susan J Briner
Southwestern Texas Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev LaMarco Antonio Cable
Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC)

Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar
Oregon Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Dr Mae Elise Cannon
Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)

The Rt. Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler
Episcopal Bishop of Wyoming, Founding President of CARAVAN

Stassi Cramm
President, Community of Christ

Rev Dr Rob Dalrymple
Leadership Board, Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME)

Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe
Diocese of Central New York, The Episcopal Church

The Rev Elizabeth A Eaton
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Pastor Ps L Elliott
General Secretary, Rhema Family Churches

Bishop Paul D Erickson
Greater Milwaukee Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Wesley Granberg-Michaelson
General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America (RCA)

Susan Gunn
Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Andrew S Hamilton
District Executive, Southeastern District Church of the Brethren

Lisa Sharon Harper
President and Founder, Freedom Road

The Rev Deborah Hutterer
Bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod, Evangelical Church in America (ELCA)

Bishop Richard Jaech
Southwestern Washington Synod, Evangelical Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Kevin T Jones
Bishop of Northeastern Iowa Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Nicolas Kazarian
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Dr Peter Makari
Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC)

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba
Anglican Church of Southern Africa

Rev Felix Malpica
Bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

The Rev Lee M Miller II
Bishop of the Upstate NY Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Professor Leepo Modise
University of South Africa

Bridget Moix
General Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)

Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe
South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Dr Lungile Mpetsheni
General Secretary, The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa

Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana
General Secretary, South African Council of Churches

Scott Murphy
President, Community of Christ

Rev Siphiwe Ndebele
Evangelical Alliance of South Africa

Rev. David M. Neuhaus, SJ
Superior of Holy Land Jesuits

Rev. Amy J Odgren
Northeastern Minnesota Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev. Teresa "Terri" Hord Owens
General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada

Rev Dr Tyrone S. Pitts
General Secretary Emeritus/Ecumenical Office , Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc.

The Rt Rev Bavi Rivera
Bishop of Eastern Oregon, The Episcopal Church

Richard L. Santos
President and CEO, Church World Service (CWS)

Bishop GS Seane
Central Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Africa (ELCSA)

Bishop Sithembele Sipuka
Catholic Bishop of Umtata, South Africa

Andrea Smith
Founding Board Member, Evangelicals4Justice

Rev Jason Smith
Executive Director, BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz

Bishop Kevin L. Strickland
outhwestern Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Bishop Pedro M Suarez
Florida-Bahamas Synod. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Adam Taylor
President, Sojourners

Rev Dr Karen Georgia Thompson
General Minister and President. United Church of Christ (UCC)

Rev N Tyokolwana
Moravian Church, South Africa

Nikki Toyama-Szeto
Executive Director. Christians for Social Action (CSA)

Rev Sandra María Van Opstal
Founder, Chasing Justice

Father Thomas Zain
Vicar General, Antiochian Orthodox Church