Jerusalem church official: Gaza situation 'extremely catastrophic'

The situation in the Gaza Strip is "extremely catastrophic," and people are dying not only from violence but from preventable illnesses, said the CEO of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

"People are really losing their life because of no treatment, no medical care," Sami El-Yousef, CEO, told OSV News Jan. 20. He repeatedly described the situation as "catastrophic" throughout the interview.

The supplies that are being allowed in are being transported from Egypt into southern Gaza Strip.

"There have been no supplies allowed into the northern part of Gaza," including Gaza City, where most Christians are sheltering in the Catholic and Orthodox parishes, El-Yousef said.

He said that during January, a black market has sprung up, and things such as medicine and blankets were being sold for 10 times the amount they sold for before Israel declared war on Hamas in retaliation for an Oct. 7 land and air attack launched by the militant Islamic group.

At the beginning of the war, a Gaza medical clinic run by the Catholic charitable agency Caritas transferred most of its medicine stock to Holy Family Catholic Parish, but all of those supplies are now depleted, El-Yousef said.

Of the approximately 800 Christians sheltering at the two parishes, seven have died "from medical neglect." One 35-year-old died when his appendix ruptured and he could not get to a hospital; the rest were elderly. At least five women over 80 have fallen and have injuries that prevent them from walking, he said. Five or six remain injured from a December sniper attack; their injuries do "not appear life-threatening … but they need treatment."

He spoke of one woman hit by shrapnel who was fortunate enough to have it removed -- under anesthesia -- at the Anglican hospital, but she had no pain medication for when the anesthesia wore off. The Washington Post reported Jan. 20 about one surgeon who had amputated his niece's leg on a kitchen table -- without anesthetics. The story said many doctors are performing surgeries without anesthesia or pain relief.

"I would consider our people to be lucky, compared to what the general population" of the Gaza Strip is enduring, El-Yousef said of the small Christian community.