Irish Catholic bishops have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and demanded an end to the “daily horror of killing, wounding and destruction” by Israeli troops.
The senior clergymen spoke out at the Spring General Meeting of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Maynooth, echoing a call this week by Pope Francis, who repeated “enough” and “stop” while speaking of the conflict during his Angelus address to crowds in St Peter’s Square.
It is thought over 30,000 people have now been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its ground invasion of the Palestinian territory following the Hamas attacks on October 7.
“Stop the War! In saying this, we join with many in our parishes, together with all people of goodwill, in demanding an immediate end to the daily horror of killing, wounding and destruction of property and infrastructure there,” the bishops said in a joint statement.
“We call on the Israeli government to comply with basic human and international standards in ensuring that Palestinians have full and unimpeded access to food, water and basic safety requirements. At the same time, we call on Hamas to release all hostages and to end missile attacks on Israel.
“Equally, the attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, which do not command as much attention in the public sphere, are also to be condemned. What is happening in this region cannot be morally justified.”
The bishops said international efforts to secure a ceasefire were welcome.
“However, as the death toll continues to rise all possible pressure should be applied to prevail upon Israel to desist from military operations that impact so horrendously on innocent civilians,” they said.
“Equally, any international support for Hamas terrorism is utterly unacceptable. The international community has failed to vindicate the right of the Palestinian people to a safe homeland, with statehood and freedom of movement, as part of a two-state solution which recognises both Israel and Palestine.”
They added: “In the face of despair, we renew our prayers for a just and lasting peace that respects justice and the dignity of all peoples.”
