As war nears two-year mark, Catholic leaders head to Holy Land

(OSV News) -- As the Israel-Hamas war nears the two-year mark, Catholic leaders have headed to Jerusalem, the Palestinian West Bank and Israel on a pastoral visit.

The delegation is headed by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who serves as vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association-Pontifical Mission; and members of the Knights of Columbus, including Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly and Supreme Secretary John A. Marrella.

In a Sept. 2 press release issued by CNEWA-Pontifical Missions, Msgr. Vaccari said the visit was meant to provide accompaniment and solidarity with those suffering from the war, sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of Israel.

To date, more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Some 1,200 Israelis have been slain and more than 5,400 injured. Of the 251 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas that Oct. 7, 50 remain in captivity, with only 20 of them believed to still be alive, with 83 of the hostages confirmed killed to date. More than 100 were released later in 2023; eight were rescued by Israeli forces.

On Aug. 22, the International Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC -- a global food security metric used by a consortium of hunger relief agencies -- formally declared a famine in Gaza, stating the situation -- fomented by aid blockades as well as controversial, often deadly food distribution efforts -- was "entirely man-made" and could be "halted and reversed."

The IPC called for "an immediate, at-scale response," noting that "any further delay -- even by days -- will result in a totally unacceptable escalation of famine-related mortality."

On Aug. 20, Israel's military disclosed plans to call up 60,000 reservists ahead of a new offensive in Gaza City.

"The Gospel compels us to witness, to stand in solidarity with all those who suffer at the hands of terror, war and famine, to answer the question put to Jesus in the Gospel of St. Luke, 'And who is my neighbor,'" said Msgr. Vaccari. "By visiting the church of Jerusalem, from which our faith has spread throughout the world, we hope to communicate to our suffering sisters and brothers of our unity in resolve and purpose in assisting them in their time of Golgotha, as we work together to seek justice and advance the cause of lasting peace."

According to a Sept. 2 press release from CNEWA-Pontifical Missions, the pastoral visit "will include liturgies in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Bethlehem's Basilica of the Nativity and Nazareth's Church of the Annunciation, and meetings with leaders of the region's beleaguered Christian community, which despite its near destruction in Gaza remains a force of good, rushing food, water and medicines to starving families and providing medical attention through its network of maternity clinics and hospital."

In mid-August, the USCCB's president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, had called upon U.S. dioceses to take up a special collection for humanitarian relief for suffering residents of Gaza and surrounding Middle Eastern areas, with funds directed to CNEWA and to Catholic Relief Services, the official humanitarian and development agency of the USCCB.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, CNEWA-Pontifical Mission has provided more than $1.6 million in aid, thanks to multiple partners throughout North America and Europe spanning a range of faith communities. Of those funds, more than $1.5 million supplied food, medical care and psychosocial counseling for upwards of 36,400 individuals, the agency -- founded in 1928 by Pope Pius XI -- said in its press release.