DAVID ADAMS reports…
Humanitarian groups and church leaders have joined in the growing chorus of voices expressing concerns over the escalation of violence in Gaza and Israel.
Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, urged both sides to cease hostilities to ensure the protection of civilians.
“This violence should stop immediately so that the lives of civilians, who are always the main victims, be spared. The loss of peoples’ precious lives in the eyes of God, on both sides, cannot be accepted as a price to be paid for the unresolved political problems and political agendas.”– Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches |
In a statement, Rev Dr Tveit said the council was “closely following the tragic violent developments that occurred the last days in Gaza and Israel, which have resulted in the loss of many lives, including children and women”.
“This violence should stop immediately so that the lives of civilians, who are always the main victims, be spared. The loss of peoples’ precious lives in the eyes of God, on both sides, cannot be accepted as a price to be paid for the unresolved political problems and political agendas.”
Rev Dr Tveit said the WCC urged both sides to cease hostilities, and ensure civilians will be protected. “We call upon the UN Security Council and the Arab League to take immediate resolutions and measures to put an end to the escalation of violence, in the interest of both parties.”
The WCC has repeated calls for an end to the six year blockade imposed on Gaza by Israel.
Meanwhile in Australia Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia, has expressed alarm at the growing violence – condemning all forms of armed violence – and said it was “deeply concerned” about the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza as a result of the violence.
Misha Coleman, an Act for Peace representative who has been working on projects in Gaza for the past three years, says the group was “deeply concerned at the number of innocent lives that may be lost” as a result of the violence.
“The residents of Gaza are living in jail-like conditions and die waiting for access to medical treatment that is only available on the other side of the wall. They suffer daily from the effects of the Israeli blockade, from shortages of water, electricity and fuel to severely restricted access to essential medicines and medical equipment. This humanitarian situation in Gaza will drastically worsen as violence escalates…”
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also called for an end to the violence which has left at least 40 people dead. Israel has carried out repeated airstrikes on targets in Gaza over the past few days – including the headquarters of Hamas – while Israeli authorities report hundreds of rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza including into Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
The Israeli cabinet has reportedly approved the call up of up to 75,000 reservists in a move which some commentators are saying could signal a ground invasion.
~ www.oikoumene.org
~ www.actforpeace.org.au
