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With rising conflict in the Middle East, Maya Street (CAFOD’s Programme Officer for the Middle East) reflects on where we can find hope amid the suffering.
One year ago, on 7 October 2023, members of Hamas’ military wing and other armed groups entered Israel and killed over 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 more, taking them to Gaza as hostages.
That morning, the Executive Director of CAFOD partner Yesh Din was staying at her sister’s home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when she awoke to the sound of rocket fire. Her sister-in-law was murdered later that day, along with several other prominent peace activists living in the kibbutz.
Two other CAFOD partners lost friends that day. Hostages remain in Gaza, and many families have spent a year desperately advocating to get their loved ones home.
That day, and every single day since, has further deepened the suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis, whose lives have been transformed by pain and grief.
In response to the recent escalation of the conflict in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, our partners have been working to support people as they move to safer areas.
Pope Francis calls for a day of prayer and fasting on 7 October
“In this dramatic hour of our history,” the Pope said, “while the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to devastate entire peoples and nations,” the Christian community is reminded of its call to "put itself at the service of humanity."
Israel's response to the 7 October attack has shocked the world
The daily, relentless bombardment in Gaza has taken a horrifying toll on Palestinians. OCHA figures from 22 September showed that 41,431 Palestinians have been killed and 95,818 injured – the majority of whom are women and children. According to The Lancet, the real figures are likely much higher.
Over 2 million Palestinians are in need of food, water, shelter, protection and basic necessities. The risk of famine persists, with all residents of Gaza facing catastrophic levels of hunger.
Over 90 per cent of the population have been forcibly displaced, in an area the size of the Isle of Wight.
The situation in the West Bank is also deeply troubling. This year has been the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since UN records began in 2005. The UN reported that “the number of Palestinian children killed by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces has almost tripled since 7 October 2023”. Meanwhile, settlement expansion and settler violence has sharply increased.
We must remember the human side to cold statistics and call for peace
A CAFOD partner in Gaza described the situation to me as a 'cut-and-paste kind of horror'. Each day they live through the same horrific scenes and relocate under frequent evacuation orders, again and again, from one unsafe area to the next. No place is safe in Gaza.
I’ve spoken to partners working on the frontlines who’ve told me about Palestinian families being murdered in their homes, children arriving at hospitals with sniper shots to their heads, schools, hospitals and refugee camps – places protected under international humanitarian law – being bombarded.
Earlier this year, arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court were made for leaders of Hamas and Israel for their involvement in possible war crimes.
This crisis is having a huge impact on children’s mental health
I’ve heard about harrowing new acronyms that have been invented that were never before needed in modern warfare: WCNSFM is used by medics to identify a wounded child with no surviving family member.
Trauma is intensified for young people because there is little-to-no access to safe spaces for education and recreation.
Thankfully, CAFOD-funded partners are providing vital psychosocial support. In camps, adults are helping young people continue to study maths, Arabic and English. They are offering reading sessions and organising entertainment so children can experience brief moments of joy and relief. They are celebrating important holidays, like Eid, so young people don’t lose their sense of culture.
Recently, CAFOD granted an additional £100,000 towards these vital efforts. With this extra funding, our partners are helping even more children through these challenging times.
Children who took part in the drawing workshop said: “It wasn’t just a training course in the basics of drawing, but a space for renewing positive energy, improving psychology, meeting new friends, and spending time away from the heat of the tent and the pressure of migration.”
But the kind and brave people who run these workshops are under threat. Gaza is now the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarian workers and journalists. According to Reporters Without Borders and the Aid Worker Security Database, more than 100 reporters were killed in just six months in Gaza by the Israel Defence Forces. In the last year alone, nearly 400 humanitarian workers have been killed in the occupied Palestinian territory, the majority of whom are Palestinians.
Even while risking their own lives, CAFOD partners have been a lifeline for Palestinians across Gaza.
One partner opened numerous shelters to provide a therapeutic space for children to come together to dance and sing – all while military jets continued to fly overhead.
“My dream is a place where I can live and work, where my wife is working, and my children can be living in a peaceful environment where there is no violence, where there’s no conflict with any other party”
One year on since 7 October, the needs have never been greater
In July 2024, colleagues from Caritas Jerusalem (CAFOD’s sister agency) – who were delivering vital medical assistance to Gazans – survived a missile that was fired on St Porphyrius Church but failed to detonate on impact. A spokesperson said: “The people need peace now more than ever. People, look at your compass and do not lose your direction. God will always allow us to choose. We can choose between war or peace.”
I heard from a father in Gaza, who is also a Project Officer for Catholic Relief Services working on the humanitarian response. He said: “What I want for my family and what I want for Gaza are the same: peace. My dream is a place where I can live and work, where my wife is working, and my children can be living in a peaceful environment where there is no violence, where there’s no conflict with any other party. This is the only dream that I can imagine.”
For me, his words capture the universal longing for peace amid the turmoil, a dream shared by countless families across the region who yearn for safety and stability in the face of unimaginable challenges.
I am reminded that, despite the difficulties we face, our pursuit of peace can inspire positive change. The father’s dream of peace for his children underscores the enduring strength of community and the possibility of a better world through unity and shared purpose.
How much longer will lives continue to be destroyed – with families living in fear and despair – before Palestinians and Israelis are allowed to live in peace?
There is a tremendous amount of work to do. We must continue to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire because there is no military solution to this conflict, and we must continue to work for peace, justice and reconciliation for all.
How you can respond to the crisis in the Middle East
Pray with us for peace
Join us in prayer by adding your name as a sign of your prayers, which we will share in solidarity with our partners who are responding to this humanitarian crisis.