A coalition of over 140 Christian leaders, including bishops and church executives from around the globe, have made an appeal for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
Their collective plea, outlined in a public letter, highlighted the critical need to cease the destruction and military engagements that have impacted civilians amidst recent conflicts.
Notably, religious figures such as Sir Greg Knight, a US Catholic bishop, and leaders from various denominations, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church, have signed the letter.
They have called for an end to arms sales to Israel by both the US and other international powers, urging strict compliance with the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of Genocide.
Part of the letter reads: “World leaders have responded with empty rhetoric and political volleying about addressing the ‘humanitarian crisis’ in Gaza while ignoring the direct causes of the catastrophe.
"Those causes are the daily bombing and ground invasion by the Israeli military, in addition to the shutting off of basic life-sustaining services to more than two million people who are suffering the consequences of crimes not their own”.
The letter later demands: “We say, ‘Enough killing!’ and collectively call for an extensive and lasting ceasefire."
This letter follows Justin Welby's "moral cry" in February 2023 for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, where he stated, "The killing must stop."
Since his appeal, others, including Rabbi Elliot Kukla of Rabbis for Ceasefire, have echoed the call for peace. Kukla saw advocating for a ceasefire as a tribute to her father, who tragically lost his life in the Jewish Holocaust during World War Two.