Top English cleric 'deeply horrified' by Israeli bombardments of Gaza

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - England’s top cleric, the archbishop of Canterbury, said Thursday that he is "deeply horrified" by Israel’s bombardments and siege of Gaza and condemns the killing of Palestinian civilians.

"I condemn the killing of Palestinian civilians, the destruction of homes and neighborhoods, and pushing people to the brink of starvation – there is no moral justification for this," Justin Welby said on X.

His remarks came after his conversation with Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian.

"In listening to him, I continue to be deeply horrified by Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza.

"I renew my commitment to stand in solidarity with our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters and with the people of Gaza," Welby added.

Welby reiterated his call for an immediate cease-fire, for aid to reach all those in desperate need, and for the release of all hostages.

"I continue to pray for all Palestinians caught up in this terrible violence, and for hostages and their families. I pray for a different path towards a just and lasting peace for all," he added.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 30,700 Palestinians have since been killed and over 72,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.