LEICESTER, United Kingdom – A group of Christian leaders visiting the Holy Land say they “hope that a fragile ceasefire agreement” between Israel and Palestinians will hold.

Eight bishops travelled to Jerusalem from January 18-23 for the Holy Land Co-ordination, an organization founded by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales in 2000. They were present in the Holy Land as Israel and Hamas put a ceasefire in place to end a 15-month conflict.

The Gaza war broke out following an Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack by Hamas militants that left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 250 taken as hostages. Of the roughly 100 hostages who remain in Gaza, a third are believed to be dead, according to Israeli Defense Forces.

Israel immediately launched a retaliatory offensive in Gaza to oust Hamas from leadership, with the subsequent conflict resulting in the deaths of over 40,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian estimates.

The bishops said they came to the Holy Land as “pilgrims of hope.”

“We came in hope that a fragile ceasefire agreement, announced as we travelled here, would hold,” they said in a statement on Thursday.

“We came looking forward to those, in both Israel and Palestine, who have suffered the atrocities of violence and war, being able to rebuild their shattered lives, to mourn the loss of their loved ones, to come together again as families and to start on the long, uncertain road to recovery,” they continued.

The Moderator of the Holy Land Co-Ordination is Bishop Nicholas Hudson, the Auxiliary of Westminster in London. Other bishops – Catholic and non-Catholic – came from across Europe and the United States.

The statement expressed the Church leaders “joy at the return of Israeli hostages and the release of Palestinian prisoners is marred by the knowledge that so many will not return: Hostages, prisoners, countless dead.”

“We note widespread concern at the fragility of the ceasefire; that it may bring respite but not the sustained and lasting peace for which the Holy Land cries out. An online meeting with the parish priest of Holy Family Parish in Gaza impressed upon us the devastation being experienced by the whole population,” the Church leaders said.

The statement noted impact of war’s effect on the West Bank is rarely reported, and the bishops had the opportunity to visit the Christians in the West Bank.

“Thank you for the most generous welcome you extended towards us; for helping us understand the extraordinary efforts being made in the fields of healthcare and education to preserve the dignity of all those living in the West Bank,” the bishops said.

“Your communities are a light in the darkness of a suffering Land. We were moved to hear how often Christians expressed their commitment to stay and rebuild the lives of their people,” the statement continued.

“Thank you, as well, for sharing all the struggles you experience: The severe restriction on movement; the sudden road closures which add hours to short journeys and so inhibit normal daily life but most especially urgent medical assistance; the lack of water and electricity; the impossibility of constructing new buildings; the high level of unemployment after so many work permits were cancelled with the start of war. We recognized the need for the respective governments to work together to resolve these vital issues,” the statement added.

The bishops also mentioned the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. There are over 100 Israeli settlements in the region, numbering over 450,000 people. In addition, 220,000 Israelis live in East Jerusalem, an area claimed by Palestinians but annexed by Israel in after the Six-Day War in 1967. The annexation is not recognized by the international community, while the Vatican has long supported a “special statute, internationally guaranteed” for Jerusalem.

“We saw how settlements, illegal under international law, which were once enclaves have grown to surround you to make enclaves now of your communities,” the Holy Land Co-ordination said.

Even after the ceasefire in Gaza, Israel has continued military operations in the West Bank, with airstrikes in Jenin allegedly killing at least 10 people this week.

“We hear your cry for peace with justice and your anxiety at what will happen when the focus turns away from Gaza; what will happen to your land. There is a clear need for the international community to act together to facilitate realistic and radical development assistance, as part of a process towards achieving a lasting peace,” the statement reads.

“We came to tell you that you are not alone; that you are not forgotten. Your faith and resilience strengthen our own faith. We hope that our coming among you encourages you and will inspire Christians from our different countries to return to the Holy Land on pilgrimage,” the bishops continue.

They also said they hoped pilgrims will j not only visit the Holy Sites of Jerusalem, Galilee and Bethlehem, “but that they will also come to visit communities like Aboud, Ephraim-Taybeh, and Ramallah so they too can draw inspiration from your faithfulness to the Land in which Jesus was born.”

The war between Israel and Gaza has greatly affected the number of pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, and hurt the local Christian community, that is largely employed in the pilgrimage sector.

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome