Priests and Nuns in Gaza Refuse Evacuation Despite Israeli Occupation Threats

Today, Tuesday, Catholic and Orthodox priests and nuns in Gaza City announced their determination to stay in the city and not leave, despite evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army, which has recently intensified its siege on the city in preparation for a large-scale military attack.

In a joint statement issued by the Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox and the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, the priests and nuns confirmed that they will continue to fulfill their spiritual and humanitarian duties and that they will remain alongside those who have decided to stay among the civilians inside the church complexes.

"We do not know what will happen exactly on the ground, not only to our congregation but to all the residents.

Since the beginning of the war, St. Porphyrius Church of the Greek Orthodox and the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza have become a safe haven for hundreds of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.

A number of people with disabilities have also been living inside the Latin Church complex for many years, receiving care there."

The statement added that the civilians who have taken refuge within the walls of the two complexes are facing tragic humanitarian conditions, suffering from malnutrition and weakness due to the long months of war and the lack of food and medicine.

It pointed out that "attempting to flee the city to the south would be a death sentence for many of them," so the priests and nuns decided to stay and continue caring for those who remain inside the churches.

The two patriarchates confirmed that evacuation orders have indeed been issued for several neighborhoods within Gaza City, raising concerns about the intentions of the Israeli army in the next phase of the war.

The number of Christians still in the Gaza Strip is currently estimated at about 635 people, along with around 10 priests and nuns, according to a spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate who spoke to Agence France-Presse.

This comes at a time when Israeli preparations for a military attack on Gaza City, which Tel Aviv considers one of the last strongholds of Hamas, are escalating.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved a military plan last week to take control of the city, which received the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following more than 22 months of war that has devastated the Palestinian territory and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.

Amid this escalation, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening. Israel imposed a complete ban on humanitarian aid entering the territory last March, before allowing a minimal amount of supplies to pass in late May, leading to a severe shortage of food, medicine, and fuel.

According to the United Nations, the territory effectively entered a state of famine last week.

In a comment on this situation, the World Food Programme described the amounts of aid that entered Gaza as "a drop in the ocean," as the siege continues and the complete collapse of health and humanitarian infrastructure persists.

Under these tragic circumstances, the priests and nuns insist on staying, affirming that their humanitarian and spiritual mission requires standing by those who have no other place to go.