Franciscans in the United States urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to help stop increased attacks against Christians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
According to a statement released July 9, the 12 provincial ministers representing the U.S. Franciscan provinces said they received a response to their June 16 letter following the latest attack on Palestinian Christians in the village of Taybeh.
"The State Department responded on June 24th, stating, 'Our office continues to track issues of violence against Christians in Israel and the West Bank, and we take it very seriously. We appreciate the work you do to highlight these concerns,'" the Franciscans said.
Despite the response, the Franciscans said they were "compelled to amplify" their appeal and make it public as attacks against Christians continue to rise.
"Violence continues to grow unabated. The world cannot be blind to the atrocities, and we hope the release of our letter can bring greater attention and advocacy for peace to this tragedy," said Franciscan Father Lawrence Hayes, provincial minister of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
In late June, Israeli settlers set fire to homes and vehicles in Taybeh, killing three people. The Israeli Defense Force said it apprehended five suspects involved in the attack.
In an interview with Vatican News published July 7, Father Bashar Fawadleh, a parish priest in the West Bank, said that after repeated attacks against Christians in the area, Israeli settlers began constructing an illegal outpost in an area belonging to Taybeh.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered a violation of Article 49 of the Geneva Convention, which states that an "occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies."
Despite repeated appeals to the international community, Father Fawadleh told Vatican News that Christians in the area continue to live in fear as Israeli settlers continue to attack villagers.
"We are simply asking to remain on our land without fear," the priest said.
In their initial appeal to Rubio, the heads of the Franciscan provinces warned of the "nearly 2,000 years of the continuous presence of the indigenous Christian community in the Holy Land being uprooted and heading toward eradication."
They also lamented the inaction of IDF forces "who seem unable, or perhaps unwilling, to curtail the expansion and violence."
"We fear the violence against Palestinians by radical Israeli settlers is growing to a breaking point. The implications of a Holy Land without a mediating Christian community is dire," the Franciscan provincial leaders told Rubio.
Concerns have also been raised in Gaza as Israeli forces continued their attacks despite a ceasefire. According to Vatican News, five people were killed July 12 in strikes that the Israeli military said targeted a weapons production site operated by Hamas.
A United Nations official also released a statement July 13 condemning the obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza after "armed personnel affiliated with the de facto authorities" raided a food distribution point as well as a U.N. World Food Program warehouse where they "assaulted two truck drivers who were delivering humanitarian supplies."
"These incidents are not isolated," said Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. "They are completely unacceptable and reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations."
Alakbarov called for an end to "all interference with humanitarian operations," saying that the people of Gaza "have already endured immense suffering" and "cannot be subjected to further delays or disruptions in the delivery of life-saving assistance."
"I reiterate that humanitarian organizations must be able to carry out their work safely, independently, impartially and without fear of intimidation or violence," he said.
