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“There are currently 400 patients there,” noted WCC moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm. “In addition, 12,000 civilians have sought refuge there.”
Bedford-Strohm said the WCC takes this call very seriously and urges the Israeli government and military to refrain from doing anything that endangers the lives of innocent civilians in a protected space such as a hospital.
“Hospitals are protected under international law,” said Bedford-Strohm. “Any attack on them would be a war crime.”
At the same time, Bedford-Strohm called on Hamas to refrain from anything that uses these protected spaces as a shield for its own military activities or command structures. “That, too, is a war crime under international law,” said Bedford-Strohm. “The killing of innocent people must stop.”
He urged opening the door to a just peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. “In the hour of worst suffering, the urgency is all the greater,” he said.
WCC, Jerusalem Heads of Churches invite all to global prayer day (WCC news release 15 October 2023)
WCC calls for a new approach to conflict in Palestine and Israel (WCC news release 13 October 2023)
Statement: WCC calls for a new approach to the conflict in Palestine and Israel (13 October 2023)
