Tarek Chouiref
12 June 2026•Update: 12 June 2026
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, warned Thursday that conditions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank continue to deteriorate under Israeli occupation amid deepening humanitarian suffering and escalating attacks by Israeli occupiers.
Speaking during a press conference in Paris, Pizzaballa said the situation across the Palestinian territories has steadily worsened since Oct. 7, 2023, according to remarks carried by the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.
He warned that dehumanization and the normalization of suffering are fueling further instability and deepening the crisis.
Describing conditions in Gaza, Pizzaballa said most Palestinians are now living either in tents or among the rubble of destroyed neighborhoods following widespread devastation across the enclave.
He said reconstruction efforts have yet to begin and there remains no clear framework or timeline for rebuilding Gaza.
Despite the destruction, the patriarch said the church continues operating through Gaza City’s parish and the Holy Family School, which remains the only partially functioning school in the territory and currently serves around 600 students.
He added that France and other international partners are supporting plans to host nearly 2,000 students beginning next September in an effort to preserve some sense of normal life for children in Gaza.
Pizzaballa also warned that the absence of any political horizon for ending the conflict is leaving deep psychological scars on families and children throughout the enclave.
Turning to the occupied West Bank, Pizzaballa warned that the future trajectory of the conflict would largely be determined there.
He said expanding illegal settlements, attacks by Israeli occupiers, military checkpoints and widespread impunity are making daily life increasingly unbearable for Palestinians.
The patriarch specifically highlighted the predominantly Christian village of Taybeh east of Ramallah, saying church officials receive near-daily distress calls from residents.
According to local officials, Israeli occupiers have recently targeted property and areas surrounding the historic Church of St. George in Taybeh, while racist graffiti and intimidation incidents have also increased.
Around 750,000 occupiers live in illegal settlements and outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian figures.
*Writing by Tarek Chouiref
