It is with deep sadness that we received the news that the Al Ahli Arab Anglican Hospital in Gaza has been forced to close its operations as the area surrounding the hospital has been declared a Red Zone following the escalation of drone firing.
The closure of the hospital at a time when its services are urgently needed exacerbates the already devastating situation in Gaza and exposes the already vulnerable to greater danger and precariousness. We remember in our thoughts and prayers all those who will face the consequences of these unfortunate developments and pray and urge for an end to all forms of violence in the region.
As a longstanding partner of the Diocese of Jerusalem USPG joins Archbishop Hosam in protesting this closure and appealing to the Israeli forces to permit the Diocese to continue their sacred ministry of medical care and healing through the Al Ahli Hospital. We also join the Diocese in its demands for an immediate ceasefire.
Most importantly we want to assure the Diocese of Jerusalem of our steadfast solidarity at a time where there is a growing sense of abandonment by Palestinian Christians, as was expressed by Father Fadi Diab, Rector of the St Andrew’s Parish in Ramallah in a conversation at the Church of England’s General Synod in York. We pray that the fullness of grace and truth that can be found in Christ Jesus, who became one of us and shared in our sufferings, will bring about the transformation of hearts, minds and actions that will make new paths to justice and lasting peace possible at this time.
Click here to read the full statement from the Diocese of Jerusalem
A Statement by Anglican Alliance Partners Protesting the Forced Closure of the Diocese of Jerusalem’s Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza (10 July 2024)
