Unacceptable Acts of Cruelty Toward Humankind in Gaza Must Cease, According to OSV Editors
In the midst of a dire humanitarian situation, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with President Donald Trump on July 28 to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The meeting came as the international community is attempting to find a way forward in the Israel-Hamas war.
The situation in Gaza has been referred to as "appalling scenes" by the British, with reports of malnutrition leading to the death of six-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb on July 26. Teenagers are crying over the bodies of their schoolmates, and parents and siblings are dying while waiting in lines for aid distribution.
Pope Leo XIV expressed concern over the dire humanitarian situation and appealed for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the full respect of humanitarian law. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, made an appeal for an end to the war and restoration of life, dignity, and humanity.
Israel's government announced a "tactical pause" in fighting on July 27, and Israel stated that other deliveries will be permitted through newly established corridors on the ground. However, aid workers are risking being shot while trying to feed their families due to the Israeli government's siege. The blockade of humanitarian aid deliveries, primarily enforced by Israeli authorities, has prevented NGOs from delivering millions of dollars worth of aid and has caused severe shortages amid a severe humanitarian crisis.
More than 100 international humanitarian organizations called on Israel to end its blockade of humanitarian aid and restore food deliveries on July 23. Their reports detail intentional targeting of Palestinians as a group and systemic destruction of Palestinian society, actions that stand in accordance to Raphael Lemkin's 1946 genocide definition. Two leading human rights organizations based in Israel, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, claimed that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza on July 28.
President Trump pledged to "get rid of those lines" blocking food from those who need it most in Gaza. Aid was airdropped in Gaza following the announcement by Israel's government.
The members of the OSV Editorial Board, including Father Patrick Briscoe, OP; Gretchen R. Crowe; Paulina Guzik; Matthew Kirby; Peter Jesserer Smith and Scott P. Richert, called on Catholics to denounce war, work for peace, and uphold the common good for all of God's people. The international community continues to search for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Gaza.
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