U.S. Franciscans urge Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address rising attacks on Christians in the West Bank amid growing violence and fear.
Newsroom (17/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) A coalition of Franciscan leaders in the United States is publicly urging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take action in response to what they describe as a growing wave of violence against Christians in the West Bank, warning that the historic Christian presence in the Holy Land faces an increasingly uncertain future.
In a statement released July 9, the 12 provincial ministers representing the Franciscan provinces across the United States said they had received a response from the U.S. State Department after sending a June 16 letter following the latest attack targeting Palestinian Christians in the village of Taybeh.
According to the Franciscans, the State Department replied on June 24, acknowledging concerns about violence directed at Christians in Israel and the West Bank.
“Our office continues to track issues of violence against Christians in Israel and the West Bank, and we take it very seriously. We appreciate the work you do to highlight these concerns,” the department said in the response quoted by the Franciscan leaders.
Despite that acknowledgment, the Franciscans said they felt compelled to make their appeal public as attacks continue to rise.
Warning Against Growing Violence
Franciscan Father Lawrence Hayes, provincial minister of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said the situation demands greater international attention.
“Violence continues to grow unabated. The world cannot be blind to the atrocities, and we hope the release of our letter can bring greater attention and advocacy for peace to this tragedy,” Hayes said.
The renewed appeal comes after a deadly incident in late June when Israeli settlers set fire to homes and vehicles in Taybeh, resulting in the deaths of three people. The Israeli Defense Force reported that five suspects connected to the attack had been apprehended.
The violence has heightened concerns among Christian communities in the occupied West Bank, particularly in Taybeh, one of the region’s few remaining entirely Christian villages.
Christian Community Faces Mounting Pressure
Additional concerns were raised by Father Bashar Fawadleh, a parish priest serving in the West Bank, during an interview published by Vatican News on July 7.
Fawadleh said repeated attacks against Christians have been accompanied by the construction of what he described as an illegal Israeli settler outpost on land belonging to Taybeh.
The issue of Israeli settlements remains a longstanding point of international contention. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are widely regarded as violating Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states that an occupying power may not transfer parts of its own civilian population into occupied territory.
According to Fawadleh, local Christians continue to live under constant uncertainty despite repeated appeals to the international community.
“We are simply asking to remain on our land without fear,” he said.
The Franciscan leaders echoed those concerns in their original letter to Rubio, warning that nearly two millennia of continuous Christian presence in the Holy Land could be at risk.
They wrote that the “nearly 2,000 years of the continuous presence of the indigenous Christian community in the Holy Land” is being threatened by ongoing violence and displacement.
The Franciscan leaders also criticized what they viewed as insufficient intervention by Israeli security forces, expressing concern that the military appears unable or unwilling to stop settler expansion and attacks.
“We fear the violence against Palestinians by radical Israeli settlers is growing to a breaking point. The implications of a Holy Land without a mediating Christian community is dire,” they told Rubio.
Broader Regional Concerns Extend to Gaza
The concerns raised by the Franciscans come amid continuing instability across Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip.
According to Vatican News, five people were killed on July 12 in Israeli strikes that the Israeli military said targeted a Hamas-operated weapons production facility. The attacks occurred despite ceasefire efforts and contributed to ongoing concerns about civilian safety in the region.
At the same time, humanitarian organizations are warning about increasing obstacles to aid delivery in Gaza.
On July 13, Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, condemned interference with humanitarian operations after armed individuals affiliated with Gaza’s de facto authorities reportedly raided a food distribution center and a World Food Program warehouse.
The incident included attacks on two truck drivers transporting humanitarian supplies, according to the U.N. official.
“These incidents are not isolated,” Alakbarov said. “They are completely unacceptable and reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations.”
He called for an immediate end to all interference with relief efforts, stressing that Gaza’s population has endured extensive hardship and cannot withstand further disruptions to life-saving assistance.
“I reiterate that humanitarian organizations must be able to carry out their work safely, independently, impartially and without fear of intimidation or violence,” Alakbarov said.
Calls for International Action
The Franciscan appeal highlights growing concern among Christian leaders about the future of one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. As violence in the West Bank continues and humanitarian challenges deepen in Gaza, religious leaders are calling on governments and international organizations to increase attention to the protection of civilians, the preservation of Christian communities, and efforts to secure lasting peace in the Holy Land.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV News
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