Latin Patriarch warns Gaza, West Bank conditions worsening under occupation

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, warned on Thursday that humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have steadily deteriorated under Israeli occupation since October 7, 2023, describing a deepening crisis marked by dehumanization and the normalization of suffering across Palestinian territories. Speaking during a press conference in Paris, he said the situation has steadily worsened and warned that this dehumanization is fueling further instability, according to remarks carried by the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.

Gaza devastation and displacement

Pizzaballa said most Palestinians in the enclave now live either in tents or among the rubble of destroyed neighborhoods following months of widespread devastation. He noted that reconstruction efforts have yet to begin and no clear framework exists for rebuilding the territory.

Despite the destruction, the patriarch said the church continues operating through Gaza City’s parish and the Holy Family School, which remains the only partially functioning school in the territory and currently serves around 600 students. He added that France and other international partners are supporting plans to host nearly 2,000 students beginning next September in an effort to preserve some sense of normal life for children in Gaza.

West Bank tensions and settlement expansion

Turning to the occupied West Bank, Pizzaballa warned that the future trajectory of the conflict would largely be determined there. He said expanding illegal settlements, military checkpoints and widespread impunity are making daily life increasingly unbearable for Palestinians, with church officials receiving near-daily distress calls from residents of the predominantly Christian village of Taybeh east of Ramallah.

The patriarch specifically highlighted recent targeting of property and areas surrounding the historic Church of St. George in Taybeh, where racist graffiti and intimidation incidents have increased. Around 750,000 Israeli settlers live in illegal settlements and outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian figures.