ASIA/HOLY LAND - Parish priest Romanelli: the ceasefire in Gaza is a breath of fresh air. But the post-war period will be terrible

Friday, 17 January 2025 middle east area crisis wars humanitarian aid geopolitics

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HOLY LAND

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Gaza (Agenzia Fides) - "The news of the ceasefire has sparked joy. Now we are all waiting for Sunday, when the ceasefire could begin, even if here in Gaza we know that it will be a difficult road," said the parish priest of the Latin Catholic parish of the Holy Family, Father Gabriel Romanelli, in response to the announcement of the agreement between Israel and Hamas, which was welcomed by the parishioners and throughout the Gaza Strip as "a breath of fresh air and a glimmer of hope". At the same time, the Argentine missionary, who belongs to the Institute of the Incarnate Word, confirmed to Fides that "yesterday and today there were dozens of dead and hundreds of injured". There is "still death, destruction and fear" that continue to mark everyday life.

Since the announcement of the agreement last Wednesday, more than a hundred people have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. The agreement announced by Qatar and the United States provides for a first phase of six weeks in which 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons. This first phase is intended to set the course for a definitive peace.

The final signing of the agreement by Israel is still pending the decisions of the Security Cabinet and the government summits that began today. At least two ministers have threatened to leave the majority of the government if the "ceasefire" in Gaza is accepted. According to some Israeli media, the Israeli government will not make its final position clear until Saturday evening. Meanwhile, the Latin parish remains an oasis and a refuge amid the ongoing collective distress of the people of Gaza: "Every day," says Father Romanelli, "we spend three or four hours in church praying: Lauds, Rosary, Vespers, Mass. There is a Bible study group that reads the letter of the Apostle James and there are still meetings with young people and adults. And with the help of the whole Church, especially the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Order of Malta, we are giving comfort to thousands of civilians, families who have nothing to eat". When the ceasefire begins, adds Father Gabriel, "we can begin to think about the consequences of the war. They will be terrible. With God's help, we will try to continue to do as much good as we can". (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 17/1/2025)