Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III visited Gaza City on Monday to offer support to the territory’s Christian community amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian challenges. The visit was described by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem as a pastoral mission to express solidarity with both Gaza’s small Christian population and the broader community enduring years of hardship.

During a service at Gaza’s Holy Family Church, Pizzaballa reaffirmed the church’s commitment to the local Christians, emphasizing that they would not be abandoned. He conveyed greetings and prayers from the churches in Jerusalem, highlighting a desire for unity and support among the communities. The Christian population in Gaza, estimated at around 1,000 individuals, has faced increasing insecurity, displacement, and severe shortages of essential goods in the context of the wider crisis affecting the region.

The two patriarchs planned to meet with clergy, religious groups, families, and others affected by the ongoing situation during their visit. In addition to pastoral engagements, Pizzaballa was scheduled to participate in an interfaith dialogue at Gaza’s Al-Azhar University later on Monday, aiming to foster cooperation and understanding between different religious communities.

The visit included accompaniment by representatives from the relief organization Malteser International, underscoring the humanitarian dimension of the trip. This mark the latest of several visits by Pizzaballa to Gaza; he previously celebrated mass at Holy Family Church around Christmas last year and accompanied Theophilos III last July following an incident in which a fire set by Israeli forces struck the church, resulting in three fatalities.

The Latin Patriarchate framed the visit as a reaffirmation of the churches’ responsibility toward the local faithful, who continue to face grave suffering, uncertainty, and fear amid the prolonged conflict affecting the Gaza Strip.