VATICAN, Nov. 17, 00 (FIDES/CWNews.com) - The papal nuncio in the Holy Land has visited the Christian villages that suffered under Israeli artillery attacks to show solidarity with the Palestinian victims, the FIDES news agency has reported.
FIDES said that Archbishop Pietro Sambi visited three predominantly Christian towns on the Israeli-occupied West Bank-- Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, and Bethlehem-- on November 16. Beit Jala was the particular focus of Israeli artillery strikes, carried out in apparent retaliation for a Palestinian attack in the Gilo district of Jerusalem last week. But there was no shelling of the villages during the nuncio's day-long visit to the West Bank.
The Israeli strikes killed dozens of Palestinians, and left many families homeless. The papal nuncio visited several newly homeless Christian families, to assure them of the Church's support. He also visited the widow of a German Lutheran medical doctor, Harry Fischer, was also killed by the shelling. Mrs. Fischer is Palestinian.
Catholic World News Service - Vatican Update
17. november 2000