The head of schools of the Franciscan province in the Holy Land decried the actions of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, as well as the more than 1,000 checkpoints that stifle travel there.
“Every corner of this land suffers violence and destruction every day; every inhabitant endures deprivation, restrictions, suffering, and humiliation that grow worse with each passing day,” said Father Ibrahim Faltas, O.F.M., of the Custody of the Holy Land.
In an article distributed by Vatican media, Father Faltas added:
People are dying in an unofficial war, undeclared but that continues, constant and widespread. There have been countless fires in homes and on land.
It is no longer possible to travel from one city to another—even if they’re very close—whether for medical emergencies, to work, to help relatives, or to defend small family properties that have been illegally occupied and seized by aggressive and violent settlers.