Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. - December 31st, 2024

925-766-9050

CMEP Calls for the Protection of Healthcare Facilities in Gaza

31st Dec. 2024 Washington D.C.- Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) joins the Episcopal Church in their call for an end to attacks against Gaza’s healthcare system. In recent days the al Ahli hospital in Gaza City, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, was hit by an Israeli strike causing further damage to the hospital which is already operating above capacity to respond to the ever-growing need for medical treatments.

Kyle Cristofalo, CMEP’s Senior Director of Advocacy and Government Relations, writes “The most recent attacks against the al Ahli and Kamal Adwan hospitals underscore the urgency with which international actors must act to press for the immediate protection of healthcare facilities, staff, and patients in Gaza. Alongside The Episcopal Church we call for an end to the current violence and for protection of the most vulnerable populations."

Read the full statement here and copied below.

Episcopal Church Calls for End to Destruction of Gaza Healthcare System

"On December 29, al Ahli hospital, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, was hit by an Israeli missile. The attack caused further destruction to hospital facilities that were already operating under extremely dire conditions, with limited fuel, medicine, and medical staff caring for hundreds more patients than the hospital was designed to serve. This attack is part of a pattern of documented violence against health care facilities and medical staff in Gaza, including al Ahli, which has endured multiple evacuations, air strikes, and closures over the past 14 months.

Human rights groups and the World Health Organization have decried the systematic assault on Gaza’s healthcare system, including most recently, the attack on Kamal Adwan, one of the last functional hospitals in northern Gaza. The unrelenting violence against the most vulnerable populations and those who care for them must stop.

We honor the doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and all medical staff who risk their lives every day. We pray for God’s mercy for the people of Gaza who have been repeatedly displaced and lack access to food, clean water, sanitation, and medical care.

We give thanks for the ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and for all the organizations and individuals who seek to bring God’s comfort to those who are suffering. We urge Episcopalians to advocate for a ceasefire, for complete access for humanitarian aid, for the immediate release of all unjustly detained Palestinians, and for the safe return of Israeli hostages.

We pray fervently for an end to the conflict in Gaza and for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine."

###

Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.

Recent CMEP Statements and Press Releases:

Dec 17, 2024 Press Release for Humanitarian Snapshot #8
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and other Humanitarian organizations express a profound concern over the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, as highlighted in the recently released Humanitarian Access Snapshot #8. CMEP urges the international community to act decisively to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s people and uphold the principles of human dignity and justice.

Dec 16, 2024 Press Release: Advent 2024 Global Bishops and Christian Leaders Letter
This Advent season, as Christians worldwide prepare to celebrate the Prince of Peace, a groundbreaking global campaign, Advent Not Arms, is calling for an end to violence in Gaza and the broader Middle East. Organized as a collaboration between Embrace the Middle East (UK) and Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) in the United States, this campaign unites Christian leaders from more than 40 countries in a powerful plea for peace and the suspension of arms sales to Israel. In a powerful letter, more than 200 global Christian bishops and executive leaders are calling on world governments to take decisive action to end the ongoing violence in Gaza and the Middle East. The signatories demand an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian aid, and the suspension of arms sales to Israel, emphasizing the urgent need for justice and peace during the Advent season.

Dec 14, 2024 CMEP Affirms Christmas Message of Jerusalem Patriarchs and Heads of Churches
As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the arrival of the Prince of Peace, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) affirms the call of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem to commemorate the Advent and Christmas seasons with visible signs of Christian hope while being sensitive to the ongoing suffering of millions in the region by upholding them in our prayers and encouraging acts of kindness and charity. During this Christmas season and beyond, CMEP remains committed to lifting up the people of the Holy Land in our prayers and working tirelessly for peace and justice in this sacred and troubled region.

Dec 12, 2024 CMEP Statement about the Latest Developments in Syria
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) acknowledges the immense pain and suffering endured by the Syrian people under decades of rule by the Assad regimes, and of the past 14 years of war in the country. The devastating impacts of this prolonged conflict have left millions displaced, communities fractured, and hopes for peace and dignity unrealized. Thus, this moment presents an opportunity for a new beginning and a future in which all Syrians can live free from oppression with their dignity and freedom respected. CMEP opposes armed militancy as a mechanism of asserting power over the general populace and calls on the United States government to support a Syrian-led transition to an inclusive state, where the rights and protections of all individuals and communities are upheld.

See all of our public statements and press releases.