Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres have accepted an invitation by Pope Francis to pray for peace in the Holy Land at the Vatican this Pentecost Sunday.
During his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Pope said, “All of us want peace. Many people build it day by day through small gestures and acts; many of them are suffering, yet patiently persevere in their efforts to be peacemakers.”
When I arrived at the Caritas Centre in Irbid, Jordan, there was a queue of about a hundred people waiting to register. Most are Syrians who have fled the civil war in their country, but there are also Palestinians forced to evacuate their refugee camp in Syria’s capital Damascus due to bombings. Why are so many waiting in line?
The recent violence in the Gaza Strip was a stark reminder of the fragility of peace in the Holy Land. Caught in the crossfire, civilians suffered many losses and injuries over the eight days of fighting. Although there is currently a ceasefire in place, the population continues to experience the humanitarian impacts of living in a conflict zone, where violence can erupt at any moment, and insecurity is a constant shadow that looms over the potential for a better future.
