Month: October 2023

Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa blesses the congregation at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on April 4, 2021. / Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Rome Newsroom, Oct 12, 2023 / 06:45 am (CNA).
The Latin Catholic Patriarch of Jerus… […]

A house is completely destroyed after being burned by Hamas militants during the attack at Kibbutz Be’eri, near the border with Gaza on Oct. 11, 2023, in Be’eri, Israel. / Credit: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 11, 2023 / 17:40 pm (CNA).

Alistair Dutton, secretary general of Caritas, said in an Oct. 9 Facebook post that he is “deeply concerned” about the ongoing war in Gaza and Israel and announced that the organization has been forced to “suspend its activities” for security reasons but “has prepared an emergency plan to offer assistance as soon as the situation allows. We pray for peace and urge both sides to uphold international humanitarian law.”

A statement from Caritas Jerusalem shared the same day by Dutton noted that in Gaza more than 123,000 people have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict, according to updated data from the United Nations. He also noted that “the situation is critical for civilians on both sides.”

Hamas Islamic terrorists have de facto declared war on Israel. They have killed hundreds of people and taken dozens hostage since launching a full-scale invasion against Israel last weekend. Israel has responded with a major offensive against the Gaza Strip.

The situation of Caritas staff

Caritas Jerusalem, which serves the needs of people in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, reported that some of its staff are among those displaced. Consequently, there was no alternative but to suspend its activities.

“One family sought refuge at Holy Family Church in Gaza, another found shelter in a UNRWA [U.N. Palestine Refugee Agency] school, but unfortunately their home was completely destroyed. In addition, another family moved in with a relative whose house was also completely demolished,” Caritas Jerusalem explained.

In the midst of this context, the charitable agency announced the launch of the Gaza Staff Support System, called “Together Putting Love into Action,” an initiative that seeks to provide assistance to colleagues based in Gaza “who are grappling with extremely challenging and complex circumstances.”

“The primary aim is to foster a strong sense of unity and emotional support within Caritas Jerusalem, recognizing that the forthcoming nights in Gaza will be especially demanding,” the statement said.

Currently, staff at headquarters in Jerusalem and the West Bank are working from home to be with their families and offering them the necessary support.

The statement explained that “all educational institutions and recreational facilities in Jerusalem are closed, along with the closure of West Bank checkpoints.”

“For safety reasons, all Caritas Jerusalem operations in the field have been suspended. Our immediate focus is on the well-being of our staff. We ask for your prayers for peace and safety, and invite you to stand with us in our appeal for a just and enduring peace in the Holy Land,” the statement concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Family and friends of May Naim, 24, who was murdered by Palestinians militants at the "Supernova" festival near the Israeli border with Gaza Strip, react during her funeral on Oct. 11, 2023, in Gan Haim, Israel. / Credit: Amir Levy/Get… […]

Rocket shells are left on the grass outside a house where civilians and soldiers were killed by Hamas militants days earlier, Oct. 11, 2023, in Be’eri, Israel. / Credit: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2023 / 16:10 pm (CNA).

An Israeli woman whose father was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists urged world governments Wednesday for assistance in contacting loved ones and ensuring their safety amid widespread reports of kidnappings. 

Social media feeds and news reports have indicated that considerable numbers of Israeli citizens, including many women and children, have been kidnapped by Hamas militants in the days since Hamas first launched missiles against Israel and invaded its borders. 

At an Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) press conference on Wednesday afternoon, 40-year-old Israeli citizen Noam Perry told reporters that her father, 80-year-old Haim Perry, had been taken by soldiers from the Gaza Strip during the initial invasion. 

“Dozens of terrorists invaded the kibbutz and started butchering the residents, going house by house,” Perry said. “They butchered my friends, people I grew up with. There is no family in the kibbutz that was left unhurt.”

Perry said her father is among the 80 missing members of the kibbutz where they lived. Upon encountering Hamas invaders in his home, he was “able to push [them] away, giving my mother precious minutes to hide,” Perry said. He was subsequently taken. 

“We haven’t heard anything from my father or the other kidnapped members of the kibbutz since Saturday,” Perry said. “It has been five long sleepless days and nights.”

The hostage crisis has brought international condemnation and calls for the release of noncombatant captives. Pope Francis in his weekly general audience on Wednesday asked “that the hostages be immediately released.”

President Joe Biden on Tuesday denounced Hamas for what he said was the “brutality” and “bloodthirstiness” of the terrorist group. 

The president called it “abhorrent” that Hamas “has now threatened to execute [hostages] in violation of every code of human morality.”

Biden said he has directed his cabinet “to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise the Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” including the recovery of American hostages. 

In Israel, Perry urged governments around the world to “help us contact our loved ones.” 

“Ask our governments to assist in contacting the kidnapped and assure they are alive and have what they need to survive,” she said. “I know you and your governments can make a difference and save their lives.”

During a brief question-and-answer period, MFA spokesman Lior Hayat responded to a query about mediations with hostage-takers by stating: “I don’t think this is time for negotiations.”

“We’re still fighting with terrorists that are entering Israeli territory,” he said. “We will get to that when we finish with the military operation.”

Shortly thereafter, Hayat quickly ended the press conference, explaining that the news team was being called to a nearby emergency shelter. 

“There is apparently an attack on Israel right now,” he told journalists before signing off. 

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