(SE): Although, in the context of the Holy Land, “the path of dialogue may currently seem limited”, it is “the only practical solution for a long-term end to the ongoing violence,” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations Office and Specialised Agencies in Geneva, said on November 21.
Media reported on November 22 that Israel and Hamas reached a breakthrough deal for a four-day humanitarian pause to allow the release of at least 50 hostages—women and children—held in Gaza.
Vatican News reported that the archbishop was speaking at the 74th executive session of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board at Geneva’s Palais des Nations.
Archbishop Balestrero reiterated the Holy See’s “unequivocal” and “irrevocable” condemnation of “the inhuman terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7.”
The archbishop said, “Terrorism and extremism fuel hatred, violence, and revenge and cause mutual suffering,” adding that “while the Holy See reaffirms the right to self-defense,” the principle of proportionality must always be respected.
He said he wanted to reiterate “the Holy See’s deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.”
Archbishop Balestrero noted that thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives, including more than 5,000 children.
“This indiscriminate suffering of the population is unacceptable”, he stressed.
He went plead for the two sides to speak to one another. Vatican News reported, calling on “the authorities of Israel and Palestine to boldly renew their commitment to a peace based on justice and respect for the legitimate aspirations of both sides.”
He emphasised, “it is the only practical solution for a long-term end to the ongoing violence affecting Christians, Jews and Muslims in the region.”
