The following is an unofficial AI translation of the L’Osservatore Romano article “Chi decide della vita dei bambini di Gaza?” by Father Ibrahim Faltas, OFM. The article was published prominantly on the front page of the August 1 edition of the offical Vatican newspaper.
Father Faltas is an Egyptian Franciscan Friar — a member of the Order of Friars Minor — and is part of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.
FOR almost two years, the voices of those demanding that life in Gaza be respected have been making themselves heard. Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have called for peace and respect for truth and justice with firm and forceful appeals. International civil society has spurred governments to take decisive stands against the indiscriminate violence inflicted upon defenseless and unarmed innocents. The demand for a ceasefire has come from an ever-growing number of human beings, struck by the images and news of other human beings subjected to inhuman suffering. Strong sentiments are calling for an end to the tragedy that strikes, above all, the children of war.
Who decides the death of a child? Who refuses to give them food when they are hungry, water when they are thirsty, who does not provide them with medicine if they are sick? It is difficult to imagine that people, who have children and grandchildren of their own, could decide that even a single child should be allowed to die, devoid of human pity. What drives a human being to strike and destroy the lives of children? What was the point of the commitment and determination of international bodies to protect the rights of children around the world? What do the concentration camps—monuments to a history that was never supposed to be repeated—remind us of? Who decides that a child can no longer smile, play, go to school, or have the love and embrace of their parents, siblings, and grandparents? Who decides that a malnourished mother must watch her child die because she cannot breastfeed, and formula does not reach Gaza?
These are questions without answers because what is happening in Gaza is ever more incomprehensible. Despite the mobilization of so many governments and the outrage of the world, there are still those who decide the fate of children and other innocents.
I received news that has shattered me, news I never wanted to receive. Many children are trying to kill themselves, and they often succeed. They do not have the strength to survive the lack of affection and protection from their loved ones; they no longer have a voice to ask for food; they no longer want to see the death and destruction that surround them, and so they decide to destroy their own lives. Malnutrition has reached such severe levels that there will be consequences for the lives of those who manage to survive. If we cannot stop this further pain, if we do not succeed in erasing this scandal, can we still call ourselves humanity? Who decides the fate of Gaza’s children?
A 4-year-old Palestinian girl, lost her life due to malnutrition and lack of treatment due to the war on Gaza. Image credit: Ashraf Amra, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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