WCC: Report describes issues facing Christians in the Holy Land
A newly released report about Christians in the Holy Land has described escalating violence, economic hardship, and restrictions on worship, with churches, schools, and hospitals suffering damage. The report is presented by the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem.
“Threats to Christian heritage – particularly in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza alongside issues of unjustified taxation – are the source of ongoing concerns that threaten the existence of the community and the churches,” reads the executive summary of the report. “Urgent action is needed to bolster, support, and maintain the current ceasefire in Gaza, and uphold religious freedom, protect Christians as the living stones, and provide economic and diplomatic support to sustain their communities across the Holy Land.”
The report describes the impact of war on Christians in Gaza. The Holy Family Church in Gaza was struck in July, killing three people taking shelter there and injuring ten. Following this attack, Patriarch Theophilos III and Cardinal Pizzaballa visited the churches in solidarity with their communities in Gaza.
Several Christian sites – the Holy Family Church, Church of St Porphyrios, and Al Ahli Baptist Hospital – have been damaged since the start of the war. “Less than 600 Christians continue to shelter within the two churches, which have only seen a small uptick in humanitarian support since the ceasefire,” reads the report. “Al Ahli Baptist Hospital, which accommodated five times its capacity during the war, remains short on medical equipment and is not able to receive medicines due to restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza.”
The report includes recommendations to hold relevant actors to account to ensure the currently reached ceasefire is bolstered, supported, and maintained, with an adequate flow of aid reaching local people. It also recommends exploring opportunities to offer economic support for rebuilding church-run hospitals, schools, and charities, among other recommendations.
The report also underscores the “urgent need to protect Christian communities and our places of worship extend throughout the West Bank, where settler attacks increasingly target our churches, people and properties.”
The conclusion calls upon the international community “to help us rebuild these vital ministries and secure a lasting hope that has felt far too distant for far too long in our Holy Land.”
Click here to read the report, “Issues Facing Christians in the Holy Land” (Dec. 2025)