Christian leaders in the Holy Land said they “rejoice” over the enactment of the ceasefire in Gaza and the successful release of captives held by the Islamist group Hamas and the Israeli state.

U.S. President Donald Trump arranged the peace deal, by which the exchange of hostages was due to be completed on Tuesday.

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.

Israel immediately launched a retaliatory offensive in Gaza to oust Hamas from leadership, with the subsequent conflict resulting in the deaths of nearly 70,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian estimates.

The peace deal organized by Trump was accepted by Israel in late September and then by Hamas on Oct. 3. Although holding, it is still considered shaky. Although all the living hostages have been released by Gaza, Israel says it is still waiting on some of the bodies of hostages who died.

Along with millions living throughout our war-torn region, the patriarchs and heads of the Churches in Jerusalem released a statement on Tuesday praising the deal.

“We take this opportunity to recognize the huge and courageous efforts of all who worked to accomplish this major achievement, especially those of President Trump,” the statement said.

“As he announced before Israel’s Knesset yesterday, we trust that this first stage of the ceasefire truly signals the end of the Gaza War, and that any further disagreements between the parties will be resolved through negotiation or reconciliation rather than the resumption of hostilities. Indeed, our region as a whole has suffered long enough to contemplate otherwise,” the Church leaders wrote.

They also said they recognize that the people of Gaza and other communities in the region continue to suffer, with hundreds of thousands having lost their homes, their health, their family members, and their livelihoods.

“We therefore strongly encourage a rapid surge of food, clean water, fuel, medical supplies, and temporary shelters into the Gaza Strip and other affected communities as a prelude to a speedily enacted program for the massive clearing and rebuilding of destroyed homes, businesses, and civilian infrastructure,” the statement said.

“Further, we appeal to the concerned parties and the international community as a whole to widen the scope of the current negotiations to include an end to the Occupation of both Gaza and the West Bank, leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace with the present state of Israel. Only in this way, we believe, will a just and lasting peace be truly established in the Holy Land and throughout the larger Middle East,” the Church leaders added.

They also expressed a special word of encouragement to those living inside St. Porphyrios Orthodox Church and Holy Family Catholic Church, as well as those serving at Al-Ahli Anglican Hospital.

Gaza has a small Christian population: Out of over 2 million people, only about 1,000 are Christian.

In July, the area’s only Catholic church was hit by a shell from an Israeli tank, killing three people.

Several others were injured, including Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of the church.

“Your perseverance in faith amidst the immeasurable hardships of the past two years has served as a shining example for us all. We pledge to you our continued prayers and support, where we will work diligently to ensure that the weeks and months ahead will be a vindication of your trust in God’s divine providence,” the Church leaders wrote.

“In this spirit, we join with our fellow Christians and others of goodwill around the world in giving thanks to the Almighty for leading us to this auspicious moment, even as we realise that the work of peacebuilding has only just begun,” they said.

“May God grant us all the grace to rededicate ourselves to this vital task, shepherding us toward that golden age of peace so long envisioned by the prophets and sages of old—and for which our Lord Jesus Christ himself gave up his own life, rising to new life beyond the grave,” the statement ended.

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