Category World News

Many Christians of the Holy Land rejoiced at the election of Pope Leo XIV as the successor to Saint Peter. Many of us hope that the new pope will follow the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, particularly with regard to issues of justice and peace.

The Holy See has historically played an important role in supporting the Christian presence in the Holy Land, whether through church activities, engagement with influential parties in and around the region, or through material and moral support. This has been reflected in the establishment of institutions such as the Pontifical Mission in Jerusalem, Bethlehem University, the Benedictus Center in Nazareth, and most recently, the donation by Pope Francis of the Popemobile to serve as a mobile clinic for children in Gaza.

Some of the most impactful moments in our recent history have been papal visits to our land — starting with Pope Paul VI in 1964, followed by Pope John Paul II in 2000, Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, and concluding with Pope Francis in 2014.

We, Christians in the Holy Land, hope that Pope Leo XIV will not only come to visit us but also help address some of the challenges we face today in the birthplace of Christianity. As a community of 230,000 people, we are working to strengthen the Christian presence as an active component of the local society, in collaboration with its other components. However, we do need help.

One of the main issues affecting Christian lives in Israel and Palestine is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is a persistent source of regional instability that fuels violence in various forms, which kills many, including Christians.

Rising religious and political extremism makes many of us feel like strangers in our own homeland. Economic deterioration and the declining number of people coming for pilgrimage in the Holy Land due to the conflict are leading to a loss of livelihood and worsening socioeconomic conditions. Widespread despair is driving many to emigrate or plan to leave in the near future, dwindling the numbers of our community.

Many local Christians want the Holy See to engage with key global and regional players to achieve a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his last sermon, Pope Francis spoke about the urgent need for peace in Gaza. In his first sermon, Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire and delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip. We welcome these statements and hope he will continue to do his utmost to promote peace in the Holy Land.

In Palestine, the situation remains unclear due to the Israeli occupation of all territories meant to form a Palestinian state, the ongoing war in Gaza, and the limited authority of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank — not to mention Israel’s full annexation of East Jerusalem. This reality calls for thoughtful action by the Church, both at the level of the Holy See and locally, to provide people with hope in these dark times.

In Israel, there is a pressing need for cooperation between the Holy See and the local church — bishops, priests, and believers — to resolve many issues that affect the Christian and non-Christian communities. It is crucial to work with all segments of the local society to pressure the state to treat all its citizens equally and preserve their dignity.

Christians hope that the Holy See can collaborate with us in our efforts to achieve equality. We, as a community, face Israeli laws that discriminate against us based on ethnicity and religion; we need support in our efforts to have such laws repealed.

It is also essential to work towards resolving painful issues that have negatively impacted the Christian presence, such as the case of the villages of Iqrit and Biram, whose Catholic Christian residents were expelled before their homes were destroyed by the Israeli authorities in 1951. Since then, the residents and their descendants have been demanding to return to their ancestral lands, but are being denied this right.

There is also a need for stronger intervention by the Holy See to support Christian institutions operating under Israeli control, which face growing challenges, such as attempts by some municipalities to impose heavy taxes in violation of past agreements, the clear discriminatory underfunding of Christian schools by Israeli authorities, and threats against church property.

Many Christians of the Holy Land also hope that Pope Leo XIV will work to enhance unity among them, including efforts to reach a unified date for major religious holidays, especially Christmas and Easter. They also call for increased joint efforts among churches to organise pilgrimages to the Holy Land that include not only visits to religious sites but also interactions with the faithful who live there. This is important because it would help us raise global awareness about the challenges we face and feel an integral part of the universal Church.

As a whole, Christians in the Holy Land, like their fellow Christians around the world, desire to see a father in Pope Leo XIV — a father who visits them and welcomes their visits, consults with them and listens to their concerns, protects them from harm, stands with them when they are attacked or oppressed, and follows in the footsteps of the Church’s founder, who never hesitated to defend the oppressed regardless of how powerful the oppressor might be.

Pope Leo XIV should know that he has many children in the Holy Land who love him and understand how busy he and the Holy See are with so many issues around the world.

In the Holy Land, Christians have prayed — and continue to pray — for his success in his mission, fully aware of how complex it is. But above all, the children need their father — and that is what they expect the most: that he will always stand by their side, despite how busy he might be.

United States President Donald Trump has offered to work with India and Pakistan to achieve a “solution” for the long-disputed Kashmir region, days after his administration brokered a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

“I will work with you, both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.

The US president doubled down on a historically inaccurate assertion that India and Pakistan have been fighting for “a thousand years” or more.

The Muslim-majority territory has been contested since the partition of British India in 1947 into India and Pakistan. The two countries have fought three wars over the region. They both stake a claim over Kashmir as a whole but control parts of it.

India-administered Kashmir has seen decades of armed rebellion either for independence or a merger with Pakistan. New Delhi has deployed more than 700,000 soldiers to quash the rebellion.

The government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has so far remained committed to a decades-old policy of refusing international mediation to find a solution to the Kashmir issue. In 2019, Modi’s government stripped India-administered Kashmir’s semiautonomy, further alienating the Kashmiris.

In its response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday that it appreciates Trump’s willingness to resolve the Kashmir issue, which has implications for peace and security in South Asia and beyond.

“Pakistan reaffirms that any just and lasting settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute must be in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and must ensure the realization of the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people, including their inalienable right to self-determination,” it said.

India’s leaders have not directly commented, but Indian media quoted unnamed government sources as saying no decision has yet been made to engage in talks on anything beyond the ceasefire.

India and Pakistan agreed to halt all fighting on Saturday, but Trump was the first person to announce the deal on his online platform.

In his post on Sunday, Trump took credit for the ceasefire.

“I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision,” he wrote.

“While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great nations.”

The latest fighting between the two neighbours started when India attacked Pakistan in the aftermath of a shooting attack in India-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians at a tourist location.

New Delhi again accused Pakistan of backing the “terrorist” groups that have launched many deadly attacks in India-administered Kashmir for decades.

Pakistan strongly denies the charges, maintaining that India has supported “terrorism” in its territory for many years and the Pahalgam attack was a false-flag operation to start a war.

The missile, drone and artillery attacks signified the most serious fighting between the two countries since they became nuclear-armed powers decades ago.

‘Neutral’ site for talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that in addition to the ceasefire, the two countries agreed to conduct broad talks over a host of issues at a “neutral” site soon.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said his country believes in the path of peaceful negotiations to resolve problems around distribution of water resources and “all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir”.

But India has for decades refused to hold negotiations over the contested region as it has tried to strengthen its hold over it.

Mohmad Waseem Malla, a research fellow at the International Centre for Peace Studies in New Delhi, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s statement, though not entirely surprising, was “striking both in tone and substance” and likely to raise concerns in New Delhi.

“Any suggestion of third-party involvement, even in passing, crosses a red line for New Delhi – especially under the current government, which has redefined the country’s foreign policy and its emphasis on territorial sovereignty.”

He added that while Trump’s mention of boosting trade and promoting peace may seem conciliatory internationally, India’s domestic political climate and strategic priorities make it difficult to entertain such offers right now.

“The key will be how New Delhi calibrates its response given current sensitivities.”

The two countries also have yet to resolve their differences over water distribution as India’s suspension of its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty remains in place.

In response to the Pahalgam attack, India also expelled Pakistani diplomats, military advisers and visa holders; closed its main land border crossing and suspended trade; and launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.

At least seven people have died, and main roads were cut off after heavy rains led to flooding in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

The regional administration spokesperson, Abdinasir Hirsi Idle, said on Saturday that rescue efforts were continuing.

“The death toll could rise because the rains were heavy and lasted for several hours, causing nine houses to collapse across different neighbourhoods, and at least six major roads to suffer severe damage,” he said.

Somalia has in the past suffered extreme climate shocks, including prolonged dry seasons that have caused droughts and heavy rains resulting in floods.

Friday’s rains went on for about eight hours, leaving waist-high waters in neighbourhoods where some residents were trapped and others were forced to move to higher ground.

A resident, Mohamed Hassan, told The Associated Press news agency that some older people were still trapped.

“We spent the night on rooftops, shivering from the cold, and I haven’t even had breakfast,” he said.

Floodwaters also damaged key infrastructure, halting public transport and temporarily disrupting operations at the main Aden Abdulle airport. Officials later confirmed flights had resumed.

The Somalia Disaster Management Agency has not yet released an official death toll, but it said the assessment was under way to determine the extent of the damage.

A Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University in the United States has returned to Boston after spending more than six weeks in an immigration detention centre in Louisiana in what her lawyers call a politically motivated crackdown on free speech.

Upon arrival at Boston Logan International Airport, Rumeysa Ozturk told reporters on Saturday that she was excited to get back to her studies during what has been a “very difficult” period.

“In the last 45 days, I lost both my freedom and also my education during a crucial time for my doctoral studies,” she said. “But I am so grateful for all the support, kindness and care.”

A federal judge on Friday ordered her release pending a final decision on her claim that she was illegally detained.

Ozturk, 30, was detained on March 25 when immigration officials arrested her in Massachusetts, revoked her student visa and transferred her to the detention facility in Louisiana.

Supporters believe Ozturk, a Fulbright scholar from Turkiye, was targeted for having co-written an opinion article in her student newspaper, calling on Tufts University to acknowledge Israel’s war on Gaza as a genocide.

A genocide case against Israel is under way at the International Court of Justice. Last week, the former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Israel of committing genocide.

Ozturk was joined by her lawyers and two of Massachusetts’s Democratic members of Congress, Senator Edward Markey and Representative Ayanna Pressley.

“Today is a tremendous day as we welcome you back, Rumeysa,” Markey said. “You have made millions and millions of people across our country so proud of the way you have fought.”

Ozturk’s lawyers say her visa was revoked without notice and she was not allowed to contact legal counsel for more than a day after her arrest.

Appearing in court via video on Friday, Ozturk spoke of her deteriorating health, including severe asthma attacks in detention, and her hopes of continuing her doctoral research on children and social media.

US District Judge William Sessions granted Ozturk bail, saying she presented no flight risk or danger to the public. He found that her claim of unlawful detention raised serious constitutional questions, including potential violations of her rights to free speech and due process.

Ozturk’s case highlights a practice that has become common under President Donald Trump’s administration. Foreign students have been arrested and hundreds of their student visas revoked for their pro-Palestine views.

Mahmoud Khalil, who led the protests against Israel’s war on Gaza at Columbia University in New York, was among the first students detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 8. He remains in custody.

The Trump administration has been accused of conflating criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously accused Ozturk, without evidence, of supporting Hamas, which has been designated as a “terrorist” group by the US.

Ozturk denied any wrongdoing and said she will continue to pursue her case. “I have faith in the American system of justice,” she said.

Her legal battle continues in Vermont while immigration hearings proceed separately in Louisiana, where she may participate remotely.

Videos of her arrest, which show masked plainclothes officers taking her from a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville, Massachusetts, went viral and sent a chill across US university campuses.

Her lawyers at the American Civil Liberties Union argued that her arrest and detention were unlawfully designed to punish her for speech protected by the US Constitution’s First Amendment and to chill the speech of others.

Pressley, who with two other Democratic members of Congress from Massachusetts visited Ozturk while she was in custody, said she was held in “squalid, inhumane conditions” and denied proper medical care for worsening asthma attacks.