Latin and Orthodox patriarchates unite in condemnation of Gaza City forced evacuation

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem have issued a joint statement condemning the forced evacuation of Gaza City, describing it as a “death sentence” for more vulnerable Palestinians living there.

The declaration on 26 August from Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III comes in response to reports of an imminent Israeli offensive to take control of Gaza City, accompanied by the mobilisation of troops and heavy bombardments.

The patriarchates said evacuation orders have already been delivered to several neighbourhoods, with the overall situation placing hundreds of thousands of residents, including the local Christian community, at risk of losing their homes or worse.

The statement began by quoting Proverbs 12:28, giving a biblical tone to their warning: “In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path there is no death."

They describe the humanitarian situation as “already dramatic” before the latest escalation and said that the destruction and deaths reported in recent days were turning the Israeli government’s earlier warning – that “the gates of hell will open” – into a tragic reality.

The Church leaders insisted that the unfolding offensive was not a distant threat but “a reality that is already in the process of being implemented”. They note that past campaigns in Gaza have already brought widespread devastation, and that current reports confirm that the situation on the ground is deteriorating rapidly.

The patriarchates drew particular attention to the plight of those sheltering in church compounds in Gaza City. The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius and the Catholic Holy Family Church have for months been places of refuge for hundreds of civilians. Among them are the elderly, women, children and people with disabilities under the care of the likes of the Missionaries of Charity.

The statement explains that many of those who have sought safety behind church walls are weakened and malnourished from months of hardship, adding: “Leaving Gaza City and trying to flee to the south would be nothing less than a death sentence."

For this reason, clergy and religious have chosen to remain with those in their care, rather than abandon the vulnerable.

With uncertainty hanging over what happens next, the patriarchates declare: “There can be no future based on captivity, displacement of Palestinians or revenge ... this is not the right way."

They reject any justification for “the deliberate and forcible mass displacement of civilians", and denounced any situation in which non-combatants were kept as “prisoners and hostages in dramatic conditions”.

The patriarchates insist that the cycle of bloodshed must end: “It is time to end this spiral of violence, to put an end to war and to prioritise the common good of the people,” they said.

“There has been enough devastation, in the territories and in people’s lives. It is now time for the healing of the long-suffering families on all sides.”

The appeal concluded with an urgent call for international action to halt the conflict: “With equal urgency, we appeal to the international community to act for an end of this senseless and destructive war, and for the return of the missing people and the Israeli hostages,” the patriarchates said.

Their statement closed by returning to quote the same verse from Proverbs: “In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path there is no death.”

This was followed by a final bid from the patriarchates, urging the faithful to pray for conversion of hearts so that the peoples of Gaza and the wider Holy Land may walk in the paths of justice and life.

Photo: Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa (left)) and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III hold a joint press conference in Jerusalem, 22 July 2025. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images.)

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