Statement Issued by the

Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East

Damascus – November 26, 2024

Patriarch Aphrem II: "We welcome the statement of the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches on the Conflicts in the Region"

this news was shared from the Facebook page of his holiness mor Ignatius Aphrem II.

His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, welcomed the statement on the war in Gaza, Lebanon and the wider Middle East, issued by the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) which was held in Paralimni – Cyprus, from 21 to 26 November 2024.
His Holiness appreciated the Executive Committee's call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Lebanon and the region to prevent more casualties and to restore compliance with international law. He valued their demand for the elimination of obstacles to humanitarian access. He also commended their call for the unconditional facilitation of humanitarian aid in conflict areas in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as in Lebanon, Syria and other conflict-affected areas, especially after the attacks on hospitals, clinics, healthcare workers and volunteers in Gaza and Lebanon, the intentional destruction of medical facilities and the obstruction of aid from reaching those in need, in violation of international laws and the sanctity of life.
His Holiness also welcomed the Executive Committee's affirmation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination as enshrined in international laws, and the necessity to establish a sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.
His Holiness stressed the importance of advocating for peace built on justice, and to ensure a decent life for all, as stated in the Executive Committee's call for the global community to act with courage and compassion, and seek justice, correct oppression, and protect widows.
His Holiness also praised WCC's solidarity stand with the churches and Christian communities in the Middle East and its support for them in facing the challenges and difficulties that threaten their existence and witnessing in the Middle East. He valued their call on churches worldwide to provide practical support and advocacy to protect the future of these churches in the land that witnessed the birth of Christianity and its spread to the whole world.

This statement was originally published on the Facebook Page of His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II.