The Bishop of Southwark has spoken of the fragility of the Gaza ceasefire and the vulnerability of the Palestinian people following a visit to the Holy Land. His visit coincided with the hostage-ceasefire agreement coming into effect on Sunday 20 January.
From 18 to 23 January 2025, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun participated in the Holy Land Coordination, an international meeting of bishops organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. Mandated by the Holy See, the Coordination exists to act in solidarity with region’s Christian communities and share in the pastoral life of the local Church as it experiences extreme political and social-economic pressure.
Bishop Christopher is a signatory to the Final Communique issued by the Coordination, which offers a messages of cautious hope for the future of the region.
“We came to the Holy Land, this Jubilee Year, as pilgrims of hope. We came in hope that a fragile ceasefire agreement, announced as we travelled here, would hold,” it states. Offering their thanks to the Christian of the West Bank who hosted them, the Bishops added:
“We saw how settlements, illegal under international law, which were once enclaves have grown to surround you to make enclaves now of your communities. We hear your cry for peace with justice and your anxiety at what will happen when the focus turns away from Gaza; what will happen to your land. There is a clear need for the international community to act together to facilitate realistic and radical development assistance, as part of a process towards achieving a lasting peace.
“We came to tell you that you are not alone; that you are not forgotten. Your faith and resilience strengthen our own faith.”
During his visit, Bishop Christopher also met with with Archbishop Hosam Naoum and Dean Richard Sewell at Saint George’s College in Jerusalem. On Friday 18 January, he also joined Rabbis for Human Rights, planting olive trees in the Palestinian village of Hussan, south of Bethlehem. The morning provided an opportunity to meet with 40 Israeli Jews and discuss a range of issues with them. Sadly, the tree planting was cut short by the arrival of members of the Israeli Defence Force, who claimed that the efforts were a provocative act and that the group would have to vacate the area.
Reflecting on the visit, Bishop Christopher said: “This ceasefire is a wonderful but fragile opportunity. Unless governments and leaders of the Holy Land – as well as those in our international community who have influence in the region – take seriously the need to address the underlying causes of this war, the cycle of violence will undoubtedly grind on.
“Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to tighten its grip on the West Bank and the threat of the annexation of Palestinian land remains very real. Even more concerningly, Israel’s move to ban the work of UNRWA in the region threatens to push the Palestinian Authority and the West Bank to the brink of collapse. People in Gaza remain desperate for food, for water, shelter and medical assistance. They are desperate for peace – with justice.
“I have witnessed firsthand the resilience of the Christian people living in the Holy Land, whose faithfulness to their land and their neighbours is a blessing to many – and an inspiration to us all. Nevertheless, wherever you look, there is exhaustion and trauma – and many are on the brink of leaving. I urge people to keep them and all the peoples of the Holy Land in their prayers and with look to a future with defiant hope.”
The Diocese of Southwark is linked with the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East.