Pax Christi USA is a member of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. CMEP published the following statement on Thursday, October 9.
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes the implementation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas with cautious optimism. After nearly two years of relentless warfare, widespread destruction, and devastating loss of life, we pray this agreement marks a turning point toward peace, justice, and healing for all who call the Holy Land home.
We welcome the news of the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the pullback of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from parts of Gaza, and the renewed entry of humanitarian aid and UN relief operations. These developments offer a long-awaited lifeline to the people of Gaza, who continue to face catastrophic levels of hunger, preventable disease, and medical shortages. The immediate priority must be to avert famine, restore clean water access, and ensure adequate medical supplies, especially for those with injuries, chronic health conditions, and newborns dependent on incubators and other lifesaving care.
Yet we know this plan will not bring true and lasting peace and self-determination to the Palestinian people. More work needs to be done to ensure the root causes of the occupation are addressed in order to pave the way for a comprehensive peace. This ceasefire deal cannot act as a political cover that shields or distracts from the continued ethnic cleansing and illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. It must act as a catalyst to halt these damaging acts and lead to a comprehensive solution that upholds the dignity and safety of all Palestinian people.
CMEP urges all parties to respect and uphold the ceasefire agreement fully. Once the initial phase is completed, we call for the full implementation of subsequent stages, including a permanent cessation of hostilities, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the establishment of a Palestinian-led civil administration, and the launch of reconstruction and rebuilding efforts.
The United States and the broader international community must apply sustained diplomatic pressure on Israel to honor the ceasefire and prevent a repeat of previous unilateral violations. Pressure should also be applied to Hamas and other militants to end all violence and commit to peace. We recall with deep concern the repeated breakdowns of ceasefires in Gaza and continued ceasefire violations in Lebanon, including Israel’s unilateral breach in March, which derailed the previous negotiation process.
This ceasefire must not be a temporary pause before renewed violence; it must be the beginning of the end of this war, which must end swiftly. CMEP calls on global leaders and people of faith to ensure this truce paves the way for a durable political solution, one that upholds the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, guarantees security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and fosters a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.
As followers of Christ, we affirm that every human life bears the image of God. We mourn the immeasurable suffering of the past two years and pray this moment of fragile peace becomes the foundation for restoration, justice, and hope for generations to come.
The [Churches for Middle East Peace] statement on the ceasefire between Israel and Palestine is above all, truthful, as any reader will attest who has read it closely. Moreover, with unreliable narrators like PM Netanyahu and President Trump, it should be clear to all who live outside Disneyland that what the Palestinians have now is not a peace treaty but rather an extorsion. Let’s not forget that Netanyahu promised publicly at the United Nations there will never be a Palestinian state and let’s face the fact that once the Israeli hostages have returned home, Trump’s short attention span will turn to something more exciting, such as the invasion of Venezuela. Yes, thank God, not Trump, for a respite from genocide but let us not be duped into believing that two war criminals are going to bring both peace and justice to anyone, much less the Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank (Golan Heights).
David Ross Gerling, PhD