The head of the Sebastia Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, has criticised US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his support of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Archbishop Atallah Hanna denounced Rubio’s public display of faith after he appeared with a cross marked on his forehead for Ash Wednesday.

Sharing an image of Rubio, Hanna wrote, “A true Christian must stand with the oppressed, the suffering, and the afflicted—not with the oppressors who commit violence and repression against nations.”

He accused politicians of distorting Christianity’s message, calling such actions “an internal enemy targeting the Church from within.”

He then went on to urge those who openly declare their faith to also acknowledge the historic injustices suffered by the Palestinian people and support their right to freedom and peace.

Hanna’s remarks followed Rubio’s phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he reaffirmed US support for Israel as a “top priority” for the Trump administration.

Days earlier, Rubio approved $4 billion (£3,095 billion) in military aid to Israel, aligning with Trump’s reversal of conditions previously imposed by Joe Biden.

A ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since 19th January, pausing a war that has killed over 48,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

However, Gaza authorities report ongoing Israeli ceasefire violations.