On Tuesday evening, Israeli soldiers attacked Palestinian worshippers during a religious ceremony as Christians gathered to celebrate the Feast of St. George in Al-Khader, a town south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA), the soldiers stormed the Old City area of Al-Khader, where many Palestinian Christians had assembled near St. George’s Monastery to observe the feast.
Witnesses reported that Israeli forces fired tear gas and concussion grenades, causing multiple injuries.
Several Palestinians also sustained cuts and bruises while attempting to flee the area.
The attack is part of a broader pattern of escalating violence against Palestinian worshippers and religious sites in the occupied territories.
Ramzi Khoury, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, has issued an urgent appeal to patriarchs and church leaders worldwide.
In his message, he called for immediate action to safeguard the Christian presence in the Holy Land amid an unprecedented escalation by Israeli occupation authorities.
Khoury’s letter warned that Israeli policies aim to erase the Palestinian Christian presence, depriving them of their religious and national rights, while committing grave violations against sacred sites.
These actions include killings, forced displacement, and ethnic cleansing across Palestine, from the West Bank—including Jerusalem—to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Khoury highlighted the unprecedented violations by Israeli forces during this year’s Easter celebrations, particularly on Holy Saturday.
He described how Jerusalem was turned into a military zone, preventing thousands of worshippers—including clergy, pilgrims, and diplomats—from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Among those denied entry was Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, the Vatican’s ambassador to Palestine, who was blocked in an unprecedented and humiliating manner.
Khoury condemned this as a dangerous escalation targeting the Christian identity of Jerusalem and stripping religious festivities of their spiritual significance.
The letter warned of a systematic policy undermining religious freedom and targeting Christian symbols.
This year, only 1,800 Christians from the West Bank were allowed to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre —out of more than 50,000 applicants—compared to over 10,000 in previous years. Many were either denied entry or humiliated at military checkpoints, facing harsher restrictions than ever before.
Additionally, Khoury pointed to Israel’s financial stranglehold on Christian institutions in Jerusalem, imposing exorbitant and illegal taxes in blatant violation of the historic Status Quo agreement. He also cited repeated attacks on places of worship and Christian symbols, warning that these actions threaten the city’s Christian heritage.
The letter emphasized that these violations are part of a broader strategy to displace Palestinians, undermine their religious and national rights, and prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Khoury also addressed the catastrophic situation in Gaza, highlighting the widespread destruction of infrastructure, Christian institutions, and the forced displacement of most Christian families, who have sought refuge inside churches.
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs urged global churches to take public and decisive stances in defense of Palestinian rights. It called for pressure on Israeli authorities to halt violations against holy sites, ensure freedom of worship, and hold Israel accountable under international law. The letter concluded with a a statement: “Silence is no longer acceptable. The time has come for honest words and bold action.”
