Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem calls for ending Israel offensive on Jenin

The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem appealed to the international community and powers interested in peace in the Holy Land to put pressure on Israel to stop its offensive on Jenin.

On Monday, at dawn, Israeli occupation forces started a wide scale offensive on Jenin and its refugee camp, killing 10 Palestinians and wounding more than 100, including 20 in serious condition, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

In a statement, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem said: “The world is witnessing a worrying escalation of bloodshed in our region and, sadly, it is looking idly at the continuous human rights violations and targeting of innocent civilians.”

The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem added: “All parties around the world must act urgently to end this bitter situation and stop causing more human losses and suffering.”

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At the same time, the Patriarch of Jerusalem and Jordan, Theophilus III, said: “We believe in the genuine right for every human to live in peace and safety. We call for an immediate cessation of violence.”

He reiterated that the solution of the Palestinian cause “is not only humanitarian, but political and moral one, stressing that retention of violence leads to more tension and divisions in the region and puts lives of thousands of innocent in danger.”

Patriarch Theophilus called for the international community and all powers interested in peace in the Holy Land to work on ending bloodshed in “our disaster stricken region”.