‘WILLING TO HELP’

Cardinal in Jerusalem Offers to Swap Himself for Israeli Hostages in Gaza

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa it the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who serves as Pope Francis’ representative in the Holy Land.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem, who serves as Pope Francis’ representative in the Holy Land, said on Monday that he was prepared to swap himself for Israeli children held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. According to Reuters, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa addressed journalists during a press conference in Italy, saying, “The first thing to do is to try to win the release of the hostages, otherwise there will be no way of stopping [an escalation]. We are willing to help, even me personally.” He said he had not yet made contact with Hamas. The BBC cited video showing there were at least 13 children among the 199 hostages abducted during Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7. Pizzaballa presides over the Roman Catholic Church’s activities in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, and Cyprus. He claimed that roughly 1,000 Christians were hiding in Church establishments in northern Gaza after their homes were obliterated in Israeli airstrikes. The Israel Defense Forces told CNN that over 1,400 Israelis have died, while the Palestinian Health Ministry stated that the Palestinian death toll is 2,670.