ISTANBUL

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa on Tuesday described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “morally unjustifiable,” stressing that delivering aid to the besieged enclave is no longer a matter of choice, but of survival.

Speaking at a press conference in East Jerusalem alongside Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, Pizzaballa said that every hour without food, water, medicine or shelter “causes deep, irreversible harm.”

The two patriarchs had just returned from a pastoral visit to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, which was recently hit by an Israeli tank shell, killing three people and injuring nine others.

“Our hearts are broken by what we saw in Gaza,” said Pizzaballa. “Yet we also witnessed moving stories of resilience and compassion amid the ruins.”

He recounted scenes of destruction, hunger and despair, saying that aid must be seen as a “matter of life and death.”

“Delays are not bureaucratic,” he said. “They are death sentences for the innocent.”

“We saw men standing for hours under the sun, simply hoping for one meal to ease their hunger. It was a sight of unbearable humiliation and unforgettable pain – a situation no human conscience can accept.”

Pizzaballa commended the “tireless efforts of local and international humanitarian workers — Christian, Muslim, religious and secular who risk everything to bring life back to Gaza.”

Addressing regional and global leaders, he warned: “There can be no future built on captivity, forced displacement, or revenge. It is time to restore dignity and humanity.”

Theophilos III echoed the call, saying: “Our hearts are heavy with sorrow but firm in faith. We walked among the wounded and grieving, among believers whose dignity has not been broken.”

“In times of destruction, the church’s mission is presence to stand with those who mourn and bear witness to a light that darkness cannot extinguish.”

“Silence in the face of suffering is a betrayal of conscience,” he added.

The patriarchs noted that their visit came amid growing fears of famine in Gaza amid a tight Israeli siege.

Despite repeated international warnings, Israel has kept Gaza’s crossings closed since March 2, blocking the entry of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies.

Israel has killed more than 59,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.