Christians in Gaza will find it difficult to resist temptation to leave

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Catholic leader of the Holy Land, has said it will be difficult for Gaza’s 1300 strong Christian community to resist the temptation to leave.

In an interview with the Italian national broadcaster RAI, he said the easiest path would be to leave for a more peaceful life elsewhere, but the challenge was to rebuild.

He believed “co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians will be practically impossible” He was willing to play a role as a mediator, including in negotiating the return of Israel hostages. And he said Palestinian statehood had to be faced before any resolution to the conflict could be found.