Catholic Father Denounces ‘Indescribable Barbarity’ of Israeli Army

VATICAN: Father David Jaeger, spokesman for Catholic sites in the Holy Land, lashed out at the Israeli siege of the Church of Nativity. He called the Israeli invasion of Palestinian lands ‘an act of indescribable barbarity’, as well as ‘a violation of every law of humanity and civilization’.

He alleged, that Israel through its actions had broken the covenant with the Holy See, and that the consequences would be "long-term and incalculable".

In Israel’s siege of the Church of Nativity, which has been going on since March 29th, an estimated 260 unarmed people have been kept under military siege, with those coming within eyesight of the Israeli Army being shot at, and sometimes killed.

For example, a few days ago the bell ringer was killed, and today a Palestinian was shot to death while trying to extinguish a fire at the neighbouring St. Katherine’s church, resulting from Israeli shelling.

The idea is being spread widely by the Israeli media apparatus, that there are ‘terrorists’ inside the church, who are holding the rest of the people hostage. However, many first-hand testimonies from people inside the church, confirm that it is only the Israeli army holding the Palestinians hostage, in one of the holiest places of Christianity.

The people inside the church, according to the clergy, are people seeking refuge from Israeli aggression.

The Vatican has condemned the siege of the Church of the Nativity, and stressed the "absolute priority" of respecting holy sites.