Sunday, January 26, 2025

Franciscan vicar reflects on Gaza ceasefire, concerned about military action in West Bank

Father Ibrahim Faltas, OFM, the vicar of the Franciscan superior in the Holy Land, reflected on the ceasefire in Gaza and expressed concern about the launch of an Israeli military operation in the West Bank.

“Those who survived in Gaza, the displaced, live in a difficult situation,” he said. “They have lost everything, they have lost the security of their homes and their loved ones, they have lost the normality of everyday life ... And everything becomes even sadder when you do not know where to go to look for those bodies” (of loved ones).

He added:

Through mediation and dialogue, a first result was achieved. But after just a few hours, the hope of beginning peaceful coexistence gave way to news of violence from the West Bank.

The good intentions have failed and have given way to violence and the use of weapons not far from where they had just left off after 15 months of war. I still want to believe those who speak of peace, I want to trust those who promise solutions. But recent events and announcements do not promise anything good.