Leaders of the Baptist World Alliance and the European Baptist Federation have issued a joint statement expressing “grave concern” over the violence in Gaza last week.
Almost 60 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more injured when Israeli soldiers fired into protestors who had massed on the Gaza border early last week. The UN Human Rights Council this week voted to send an international war crimes probe to Gaza in wake of the killings.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the leaders of the BWA and EPF – who included BWA President Paul Msiza and General Secretary Elijiah M Brown as well as EBF President Jennifer Entrican and General Secretary Anthony Peck – said they stood “in solidarity with all who suffer and who have tragically lost their lives”.
“Especially we are concerned about the desperate situation incide Gaza,” they said. “Even before the current medical emergency arising from the many hundreds of civilians wounded in the latest clashes, one of our Baptist leaders, who visits Gaza regularly, recently described the situation as ‘virtually no electricity, water, money – or hope’.
“We abhor the resort to violence from wherever it comes, whether by militant groups or state-sanctioned oppression. Violence begets violence and leads to both sides living in constant fear of the other. This cannot be the way to a lasting peace with justice.”
The leaders urged world leaders to “avoid provocative actions and statements” that inflame the conflict and “to restore the urgent priority of a process of negotiation towards a just peace”.
“We believe it is the responsibility of the international community to uphold the human rights of the Palestinian community and to seek to create the conditions where peace has a chance to flourish.”
The leaders added that they stood in support of Christian communities in Israel and Palestine.
