In interview, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem said that a two-state solution looks ‘less and less real’
JERUSALEM — In an interview before the second anniversary of Israel-Hamas war, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem said “what is happening militarily in Gaza is a disaster,” with the consequences of a “human devastation,” and “brutalization of mutual relations between Israelis and Palestinians.”
“There is no longer any trust, no human interest of one side in the other. It is an inhumanity that is almost incomprehensible,” the cardinal told German Catholic news agency KNA.
Asked whether there is a way out of the conflict, he said, “This is a matter for local and international politics. This is a matter for local and international politics.
“The only thing the faithful can do is pray and provide humanitarian aid — as much as possible. And international pressure can also be maintained” through the media. “We must not remain silent about these events,” he said.
“Pope Leo also keeps in touch with the community in Gaza. He speaks publicly about our situation. He does what he can do. Vatican diplomacy is also working for us as far as it can in this difficult situation. What we can do: Speak out in a respectful manner, but with clear language,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said.
He said that “the Palestinians need not only humanitarian, but also human, psychological support: They want to be recognized in their dignity as a people, and this should be done. What will happen here politically in the future is a mystery to me. The two-state solution remains the ideal solution for me, but it seems less and less real.”
President Trump’s 20-point peace plan
President Donald Trump released a 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war Sept. 29, which was met with cautious optimism from some world leaders and skepticism from others as it remained to be seen whether Hamas would accept the agreement amid increasing international concern about humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
During a White House visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the plan could be a “historic day for peace,” but said that if Hamas did not accept the plan, Israel “would have my full backing” to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.”
Trump told reporters Sept. 30 he would give Hamas “three or four days” to respond to his proposal. The Associated Press reported that while the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, “welcomed the announcement,” Hamas officials had not indicated whether they would accept the terms.
“Hamas is either going to be doing it or it’s not; and if it’s not, it’s going to be a sad end,” Trump said.
The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to release all of its remaining hostages within 72 hours, living or dead. The militant group still holds 48 hostages, and Israeli officials believe 20 of them are still alive, AP reported. In exchange, Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in its prisons, and another 1,700 people from Gaza it detained, including all women and children.
