This Christmas, Jesus was born in the midst of carnage and consternation at the inability of the international community to stop it. The holy land is stained with blood with scenes of fear and shame. Since the violent escalation last October, with a reprehensible attack on Israeli territory by the Islamist group Hamas (which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007) that left 1,200 dead and 240 hostages, Israel’s response by declaring “war” has been terrifying. Toll: about 21,100 dead Palestinians and more than 55,000 injured; with a greater loss of innocent population to extremists. Of those who died, almost 10,000 were children.

Fundamentalists demand territorial claims and freedom using violent means; Israel defends the “promised land” with indiscriminate, genocidal actions; as if he were applying ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians with merciless force. “You will be strong when you learn to do no harm,” says Alejandro Jodorowsky. In its fight against Hamas, Israel destroys everything. This creates rejection, such as that of Craig Mokhiber, an official of the United Nations Human Rights Office, who resigned from his position with the statement: “Once again we are witnessing the unfolding of genocide before our eyes, and the organization we serve seems unable to stop it.” … in Gaza, civilian homes, schools, churches, mosques and medical facilities were attacked for no reason, and thousands of civilians were massacred.”

Pope Francis condemned: “Helpless civilians are being bombed and killed.” And this happened even inside the Sagrada Familie parish, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, the sick, the disabled, nuns…” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames Hamas for using civilians as human shields. For a ceasefire, he demands delivering hostages, to dismantle his war-fighting capacity and end his political dominance in Gaza. He defends his “civilized” war against rival “barbarism.” Netanyahu’s vision and Hamas’s radicalism predict a dangerous outcome; even more so when the fighting reaches the West Bank, Lebanon and Iran threatens to stoke the fire. Palestine seeks freedom and autonomy. Israel does not want to strengthen it politically and militarily. A complex situation, the rational solution of which would give peace to both peoples, the region and avoid the shedding of more blood; but the will of them and their allies is lacking.

Palestinian children affected by unreason hurt; as well as those about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, about forced migration, about African areas without water and food, about those in the region who are victims of insecurity. Recently they congratulated ‘Merry Christmas’, today the end of the year festivities are being prepared, and distraught Palestinian parents are still searching for their children among the ruins and hospitals. We hope that the vice president of Ecuador, Verónica Abad, who was appointed ambassador for peace between Israel and Palestine, will manage the humanitarian aid for children, women, the elderly, the sick, the displaced who are begging for food, shelter and praying not to be hit by a bomb. (OR)