Shahin received the delegation, headed by the organization’s executive director, Mae Elise Cannon, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement without specifying where the meeting took place.

She praised the organization’s role in protecting Christians in Palestine and briefed the delegation on the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

Shahin cited the insufficient entry of humanitarian aid, the continued closure of crossings, disruptions to children’s education and the spread of disease.

She also reviewed developments in the occupied West Bank, including the escalating violence by Israeli occupiers under the protection of the Israeli army.

The minister highlighted the challenges facing Christians in Palestine and the significant decline in the number of Christians due to the difficult conditions confronting Palestinians.

She stressed the need for the international community, Churches for Middle East Peace and churches worldwide to intensify their efforts to protect Christians and holy sites from Israeli violations and amplify their voices internationally.

Delegation members said their visit was intended to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, according to the ministry.

They voiced concern about the challenges facing Christians and their declining numbers in the Holy Land and across Palestine.

The delegation affirmed its commitment to defending Christians and the rights of the Palestinian people, conveying their voices to the world and strengthening efforts to achieve security and peace in the region.

On Aug. 11, the Palestinian Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs warned that Israeli attacks on Christian communities “threaten their deep-rooted presence in the land.”

The committee said attacks against Palestinian Christians were “no longer isolated incidents” but part of a continuing pattern involving occupier violence, land confiscation, settlement expansion and restrictions on freedom of worship.

It described the situation as “painful,” saying an increasing number of Christian families had been forced to leave Palestine since 2023 because of escalating Israeli attacks. It provided no figures.

About a week ago, Christian schools in occupied East al-Quds announced that they would suspend classes from Tuesday until further notice after Israel failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and staff members, preventing them from reaching their schools.

The measure comes amid broader Israeli attacks on the Christian community in the Palestinian territories, including assaults on clergy and churches involving spitting and other forms of harassment.

Source: Anadolu