Bishops stated the following concerning the humanitarian disaster in Gaza: “In Gaza people are starving and adequate aid is being denied; it seems clear that famine is being used as a weapon of war. Already over 600,000 Palestinians have been displaced. The evidence points to a staged strategy of ethnic cleansing aimed at removing the Palestinian people from their homes and their homeland. It is becoming increasingly clear to people on the ground that these are genocidal actions sanctioned by the Government of Israel.

 “What is happening in Gaza – and the West Bank – is the death of tens of thousands of non-combatants, many of them women and children. This is unconscionable and disproportionate. It is immoral for world leaders to stand by inactively in the face of this outrageous tragedy for humanity.

 “Words are not enough! There is an urgent need for the international community to intervene, cut off arms supplies and bring the carnage to an end. This will call for courage on the part of leaders. Examples of courage are being given every day by heroic doctors, nurses and aid workers risking their lives in service of the wounded and those who have been displaced.”