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The recent ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah has given Christian leaders in the Holy Land hope that a similar arrangement might take place in the Gaza Strip, where the death toll reportedly has surpassed 45,000.
“We give thanks to the Almighty for the recent ceasefire between two of the warring parties in our region, and we call for it to be expanded into Gaza and many other places, bringing an end to the wars that have plagued our part of the world,” said the Christmas Message of the the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem. “We likewise renew our appeal for the release of all prisoners and captives, the return of the homeless and displaced, the treatment of the sick and wounded, the relief of those who hunger and thirst, the restoration of unjustly seized or threatened properties, and the rebuilding of all public and private civilian structures that have been damaged or destroyed.”
The Christmas Message was released December 13. On Tuesday, the BBC reported that there were “new signs” that Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization, could be moving closer to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
“A senior Palestinian official involved in the indirect negotiations told the BBC that talks were in a ‘decisive and final phase,’” the BBC said. “Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, has also said an agreement is closer than ever.”
But a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is “not imminent,” The Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday.
About 100 of the original 250 who were captured by Hamas fighting on October 7, 2023, when it attacked Israel, are still being held, including seven Americans.
A ray of light
If a ceasefire happens, though, it would be a ray of light in what the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem call “these dark days of continuing conflict and uncertainty in our region.”
Among the 45,000 deaths reported by health officials in Gaza are more than 14,500 young persons, according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF.
The Christian leaders said they “remain steadfast in proclaiming to our local congregations and the wider world the eternal Christmas message of the True Light shining in the darkness: the birth of our Lord Jesus in Bethlehem (John 1:5).”
“In Christ’s Nativity, the light of God’s salvation first came into the world, enlightening all who would receive Him, both then and now, and offering them 'grace upon grace' to overcome the dark forces of evil that ceaselessly conspire to bring about the destruction of God’s creation (John 1:16),” the leaders said.
In spite of the light of Christ that came into the world with the Incarnation and the Resurrection of Christ, “wars still rage and untold millions in our region and around the globe continue to suffer grievously. Outwardly, little seems to have changed. Yet inwardly, our Lord Jesus Christ’s holy birth sparked a spiritual revolution that continues to transform countless hearts and minds towards the ways of justice, mercy, and peace (Micah 6:8; Ephesians 2:17).”
Where he was born
The patriarchs and bishops said it is a privilege for Christians in the Holy Land “to continue to testify to the sacred light of Christ in the very places where He was born, ministered, and offered Himself on our behalf, rising victoriously from the grave to a new resurrected life. We do this by offering Him our worship at the holy sites; by welcoming pilgrims and visitors into our midst; by proclaiming His sacred Gospel to all who will hear; by continuing His ministries of teaching, healing, and loving-kindness; and by advocating for “liberty for the captives, and release to the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18–19).
The leaders – those of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, and others – call on all Christians and those of goodwill around the world to join them in praying and working for peace, both in Christ’s homeland and wherever there is conflict and strife.
“For by together doing so,” they said, “we will indeed be truly honoring the Prince of Peace who was born so humbly in a stable in Bethlehem more than two millennia ago.”
