(FILES) Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa (C) censes during the Easter vigil mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on April 3, 2021. - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem visited Gaza City on May 16, 2024, his church said, where he delivered a "message of hope, solidarity and support" to people in the war-torn Palestinian territory. (Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem visited Gaza City on Thursday, his church said, where he delivered a “message of hope, solidarity and support” to people in the war-torn Palestinian territory.
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa “entered Gaza and reached the parish of the Holy Family for a pastoral visit,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.
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He presided over a mass and paid a courtesy visit to another parish, it said, adding that “they met the suffering population to encourage them and to deliver a message of hope, solidarity, and support”.
The church said the visit was the first stage of a humanitarian mission to deliver life-saving food and medical assistance to Gazans.
An estimated 1,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip. According to the Latin Patriarchate, they include 135 Catholics, most of whom are Orthodox.
Some of the Orthodox faithful have taken refuge in buildings belonging to the Church.
The Gaza war broke out after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel’s military retaliation has killed at least 35,272 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
© Agence France-Presse
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