Shahin discusses Israeli attacks on Christians with US church group

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin received a delegation from Churches for Middle East Peace on Saturday to discuss escalating Israeli attacks against Palestinian Christians and the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The meeting, held with the organization’s executive director Mae Elise Cannon leading the delegation, addressed the protection of Christian communities and holy sites amid the ongoing war, according to a statement from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.

Gaza humanitarian crisis and West Bank violence

Shahin briefed the delegation on the deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip, citing insufficient humanitarian aid entry, continued closure of crossings, disruptions to children's education and the spread of disease. She also reviewed developments in the occupied West Bank, noting escalating violence by Israeli occupiers under army protection and highlighting the significant decline in the number of Christians due to these difficult conditions. The minister stressed the need for the international community, Churches for Middle East Peace and churches worldwide to intensify efforts to protect Christians and amplify their voices internationally.

'Deep-rooted presence' under threat

On Aug. 11, the Palestinian Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs warned that Israeli attacks on Christian communities "threaten their deep-rooted presence in the land," stating that such attacks were "no longer isolated incidents" but part of a continuing pattern involving occupier violence, land confiscation and settlement expansion. The committee described the situation as "painful," noting that an increasing number of Christian families had been forced to leave Palestine since 2023 because of escalating Israeli attacks, though it provided no specific figures.

About a week ago, Christian schools in occupied East Jerusalem announced the suspension of classes after Israel failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and staff members, preventing them from reaching their schools. The measure comes amid broader Israeli attacks on the Christian community in the Palestinian territories, including assaults on clergy and churches. Daily raids and attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers have continued in the West Bank since Israel launched its military offensive in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 8, 2023.