Video message from Gaza's Catholic parish priest

Screenshot

Source: Facebook/ICN

Fr Gabriel Romanelli, Parish Priest at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, posted this message in Spanish yesterday on Facebook after news of the ceasefire agreement. Many thanks to Verity Glover for her translation.

Hello, dear brothers and sisters, I hope you are well. So, news has arrived that an agreement has been reached for the first phase, the first stage of what would be a kind of peace-making process; an end to this war, and finally peace in Gaza and (some say) the whole region, God willing.

Even so, just as I'm filming this, bombs can still be heard, shells are still falling. In fact, one of our refugees had been accompanying his wife to the hospital - one of the few hospitals still active. Whilst there at the hospital, a bullet from a quadcopter - well, a drone - struck part of his abdomen. Thank God it didn't reach any internal organs. They were able to perform emergency surgery on him, and remove the bullet lodged there, and he's okay. But I said, this is a sign, we all were and are happy to hear this news, hoping that this really is the beginning of the end of this war, but still… the hostilities continue even now. We hope that all this will come to an end.

Thus, the Christian community and neighbourhood has received this news with quiet hope, knowing that peace and agreement have often been discussed. But this time, it seems things are more serious. So, many are already feeling more at ease.

They are also beginning to consider - and it's not that they hadn't noticed before, but now they can think more clearly - what will exist afterwards, what will be left. The aftermath will be horrific. We hope that the world also does not forget the population of over two million people living here.

We give thanks to God and all the volunteers worldwide who have worked and continue working towards just and lasting peace for all - as much for Palestine as for Israel.

LINKS

See Fr Gabriel's original message in Spanish: www.facebook.com/reel/830897152944193

An earlier film: Sunday in Gaza: www.facebook.com/reel/1811635993098290

Fr Gabriel Romanelli's FB page: www.facebook.com/gabriel.romanelli.984