“The situation remains very serious and is bound to worsen, as every air strike brings more deaths, injuries and destruction.” The 11th National Journalists’ Conference, entitled ‘Disarming Words’, co-organised by the Diocese of Piceno, the Journalists’ Association of the Marche Region, the Bar Association, and the Association of Chartered Accountants, opened this morning in Ascoli, Italy, with a video message delivered by Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest at the Latin-rite Holy Family church in Gaza. Since it was first established, the primary focus of the Conference has been on the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on developments in the Holy Land. This year, Father Romanelli conveyed the full gravity of the ongoing conflict in Gaza since 7 October 2023. He made his remarks as the Israeli army continues its air and ground military campaign, resulting in dozens of deaths in various locations in the Gaza Strip, including the Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City and Khan Yunis. Amidst this disaster, the healthcare system is rapidly deteriorating, making it progressively challenging for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by the United States and Israel, to manage the humanitarian crisis and deliver food aid to the population facing starvation, following the complete blockade of aid that was imposed by the Netanyahu government on 2 March.
Lack of hope.
“From a humane perspective,” said the parish priest, an Argentine missionary of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE), “the most disheartening aspect is the widespread feeling of hopelessness: two and a half million people who see no future ahead of them. They don’t see it because they have not been offered any clear indication that they will have the opportunity to rebuild their lives in their homeland.
What everyone needs most is for the war to end.
There are 2.3 million Gazans living in the Strip who need everything to survive, from food and water to medicine. It’s heartbreaking.” “Food must be both sufficient and varied,” Father Romanelli pointed out. “There is no meat, and the little that is available is unaffordable. Those who still have money cannot withdraw it because the banks haven’t been open for about 20 months — virtually since the beginning of the war. The ceasefire has been beneficial in some areas, such as reducing the cost of vegetables, previously only available at high prices. A kilogram of tomatoes used to cost almost €100; now, it costs around €15 — albeit still a prohibitively high price. A kilo of sugar, if it can be found, can cost as much as €50. For this reason, it is sold by the cupful or even spoonful. Local families, including those sheltering in our parish, which is providing refuge for around 500 displaced Christians, have been sifting flour to remove worms for months. With the support of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, we have been able to help thousands of families. In this neighbourhood of Gaza City (al-Zaitoun, Ed’s note), home to more than 2,600 families, some people still have small amounts of flour that they sift several times to remove the worms.”
Unceasing prayer. The displaced Christians housed in the parish have been praying unceasingly since the outbreak of the war, heartened by Pope Francis’ evening phone calls, in which he called for peace and the release of the hostages. “We carry out our pastoral activities with our displaced parishioners, starting with prayer,” said Father Romanelli. “In the morning, together with the other religious men and women, we devote one hour to Adoration, meditating in silence. The children then arrive at the church for prayers. They write to Jesus and read the Gospel. This is a very moving moment in the life of our parish, which also has an oratory, and we say the Rosary and celebrate Mass. In the evening, we pray with young people and say Compline.
The children play in the courtyard outside, running for shelter from the shrapnel during bombings, only to return to their playground a few minutes later. They have been living here since the war began.
They have grown accustomed to it after such a long time, but you cannot live forever locked up in a room that is not really a room. It is a school classroom with no amenities, where 10-15 people who lost everything live in terrible conditions. “Please pray for peace,” concluded the parish priest, “and do what you can to convince the world that peace is possible and that aid can be provided through the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.”
