Pope Francis met today with a Palestinian delegation from the Gaza Strip, including families of the victims of the Israeli aggression on the Strip, at his residence in the Vatican during which the delegation expressed its thanks and gratitude for the Pope’s positions in support of the Palestinian people, and his constant demand for a ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid, and an end to the killing of innocent people.

The Pope listened to members of the delegation talk about what is happening personally to their families as a result of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, as some of them lost their entire families.

He expressed his sadness over what is happening in the Gaza Strip, explaining that he is in daily contact with the church in the Gaza Strip and is fully aware of the suffering that the residents of the Strip are experiencing as a result of the war, in addition to the shortage of food and water and the interruption of electricity and communications, in addition to the catastrophic conditions of h
ospitals due to the lack of fuel, pointing to the difficult health conditions experienced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The delegation submitted a detailed message to the Pope, reflecting the extent of the harsh conditions that the Palestinian people are going through in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, which included demands for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, allowing the entry of humanitarian aid, and finding a just and final solution to the Palestinian issue.

The delegation called on the Pope to make an urgent visit to the Gaza Strip that would work to stop this aggression.

In the same context, the members of the delegation held a press conference about the meeting in the presence of more than 25 local and international Italian agencies, where they presented a picture of the catastrophic conditions in the Gaza Strip and the complete collapse of many life facilities, especially services and health.

The delegation touched on what their families have been going through for
47 days, in addition to the attacks on mosques and churches in the Gaza Strip, which were bombed, and about the continued abuse of Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank by the Israeli army and colonialists.

The delegation included a number of Muslims and Christians from the Gaza Strip, residing in several different countries, in addition to some survivors of the war on the Gaza Strip.

Muhammad Halalo spoke about his family, which he lost in the war, talking about their suffering before the occupation warplanes targeted their house in getting water and food.

Fatima Abu Maeliq, a child, spoke about her friends and relatives whom she lost, some of whom are still under the rubble, calling for a safe environment for the children of Palestine.

Suhair Anastas Tarazi, a survivor of the war, left the Gaza Strip on its 42nd day. She talked about her suffering and the difficulty of reaching the Rafah crossing despite coordination for her passage because she is of dual nationality, in addition to the s
uffering she experienced during the days of the war in Gaza.

As for Fatima, who is about to give birth to her first child, she addressed the fears of mothers in the Gaza Strip, noting that some women feel in danger because of their inability to reach hospitals to give birth, and others fear for the future of their children in the face of the genocide taking place in the Strip.

It is worth noting that the delegation participated in the Pope’s general meeting with the parishioners in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

The delegation carried banners and pictures that reflected the suffering of the Palestinian people, and showed the Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA