'I have lived in the Holy Land since 1967 and I have lived through quite a few wars between Israel, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, the first and second intifada. Since 2001, I have lived in Gaza, but what I see now is really incredible. It is a complete catastrophe what is happening to women, children and the elderly. Half of all buildings have been destroyed. Since October 2023, we have been without running water and electricity. How are we supposed to survive? We drink water from wells. People have to wash with that too. We use generators, which give electricity for 2-3 hours. We need to drink, wash and cook. Because there is no gas, we use small wood-burning stoves. People cut wood from doors, window frames, tables and chairs, anything to cook and heat themselves.
Blankets, clothes, mattresses, medicine
There have also been attacks on our church, . Why is Israel killing innocent people, children, babies, old and sick people, who seek protection in the church? Some help is coming in through churches and organisations, such as flour for bread. People living here get 2 or 3 pita breads a day and a hot meal every other day. The other day they eat from cans. We give beans, corn, mushrooms and tuna. Whatever we can find. There is no sugar and salt. Everything is very expensive. Aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes, onions have become unaffordable. We need blankets and clothes. The mattresses need urgent replacement. We need milk for the sick. We collect medicine for people we shelter here in the monastery near the church. That's 300 people now, both Christians and Muslims. We give them as much as we can. They participate in our daily prayer services and Holy Communion. That encourages them. I want to offer people hope. There is a lot of anger on the streets. We need love and forgiveness. We are followers of Jesus, so we need to love everyone unconditionally.
Guardians of the holy places
Before this war, we had 1,500 church members. In one year, a hundred people died. Two hundred have left for Australia, Egypt, Europe, Canada or America. Others are still waiting to leave. They leave everything behind. What for? To become refugees? What awaits people in their 70s or 80s? What can they build anywhere else? I have a Jordanian passport myself, but I belong in this Holy Land. We are the guardians of the holy places. This is our land. If we leave, the colonizers will take everything from us. And I am not just talking about the buildings, but also the holy community of Jesus Christ. Many people do not want to leave their families, their homes and properties. Outside Palestine, we are foreigners and treated like slaves. Not everyone who has left is happy. Some want to return.
Praying for a solution
The solution to this whole conflict does not lie with us. The great powers must one day stop and make peace. We can only pray to God to bring this about. We do that every day. It's all about money and power. People who believe in that do not believe in God. If they do not want peace, it will be a catastrophe for all of us. Pray with us that this war stops and that we can stay spiritually upright and live here.
Many people have lost everything for the umpteenth time. We Gazans need not only money and things, but above all the feeling that the world sees us, that we are loved and not abandoned. We want to stay here. We are one family in Jesus Christ.'
Dit artikel verscheen eerder op de site van Kerk in Actie:
