‘The prospects are promising’

In an interview, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expresses his hopes for an agreement that will bring an end to this phase of the war in Gaza, while still cautioning, however, that many challenges remain. “The prospects are promising.” He expresses this perspective when commenting on the outcome of the ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar. While the violence continues on various fronts, it is expected that negotiations resumed in Cairo on Thursday, 22 August.

Your Eminence, there is a masked optimism from Doha, where negotiations promoted by the US, Egypt and Qatar are taking place. They focus on a truce in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held there. Do you believe that, this time, the goal can be achieved?

Yes, I believe that the conditions needed to reach an agreement are favourable at the moment. Naturally, there will always be those who oppose it, obstacles exist, but I believe that the conditions have matured so that this phase of the war can finally end, so that an escalation and a widening of the conflict with Iran’s direct intervention and the extension of the war to Lebanon can be prevented.

I repeat, there are many difficulties, but I believe that there is a massive effort, not only from the mediators, but also from the United States, to bring this situation to an end. The prospects are promising.

Consequently, one hopes that the threat of an Iranian intervention in Israel will be averted...

Yes, we must not delude ourselves. The conflict is not over yet; we see that very clearly in Gaza with the continuous bombings, with the tragedy that is before everyone’s eyes which is always leaving us speechless.

In fact, the bombings in Gaza continue incessantly. In the meantime, Hamas says that the tragic milestone of 40,000 Palestinian deaths was reached in Gaza on August 15 since October 7. How is the Christian community living in this situation?

Our small community located north of Gaza, in Gaza city, tries to live, albeit difficult, in the calmest and best way possible. We are actively seeking to help the population with the aid that we receive not only from the Knights of Malta, but also from many other organisations; most recently those from the Mennonite Church that sent more than a thousand packages. It is very nice seeing so much solidarity amidst this terrible and tragic situation.

While media attention is all on Gaza and the border with Lebanon, the situation in the West Bank is becoming more serious and alarming every day. What signs are reaching you from these areas?

What you say is very true. Rightly so, Gaza is talked about a lot, but there is also a very serious situation in the Territories, in the West Bank. Just a few days ago, there was a pogrom by quite a few settlers against a Palestinian village, resulting in one death and a lot of damage.

It is only the latest episode in a series of events that have characterized the constant and ever-growing tension of these months in the whole of the West Bank; tensions and continuous clashing between the settlers and the Palestinians, as well as the armed Israeli forces… continuous tensions that are making Palestinian lives even more complicated and difficult.

There is a risk of explosion, which is why we must work hard, first of all towards a ceasefire in Gaza and then towards restoring as much order, security, and an ordinary life as possible in all of the West Bank.

The bottom line is we must turn the page. It is not simple. What we are seeing in the West Bank — as I have always said — is a clear, concrete example of how hatred, resentment, and contempt have led to increasingly extreme and difficult-to-contain forms of violence. Therefore, we must work a lot, not only at a political level but also at a religious level, given the religious background of the violence, to ensure that these agitators and extremists, are put aside, isolated, and lack the strength they have now.

By Roberto Cetera