by Jessica Easthope
A prayer for peace began the day’s discussions at the Synod on Synodality in Rome.
Everyone’s thoughts were on the Holy Land as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on.
Israeli Defense Forces howitzers fired a barrage of artillery into Gaza on this sixth day of fighting.
Israel said the Gaza siege will not be lifted until the hostages taken by Hamas are returned home.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel. During a visit to a donation site, he had an emotional meeting with a 24-year-old survivor of the music festival massacre, where Hamas killed hundreds.
“We were saved by a miracle,” the survivor said. “But there are friends that we love that weren’t.”
Blinken reiterated the U.S.’ support and likened Hamas’ crimes to those of ISIS. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also made the comparison.
“Hamas is ISIS,” Netanyahu said. “And just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed.”
The U.S. is helping by supplying ammunition and other defense material to israel.
“What we’ve seen, I think will be very hard to erase from our minds and certainly our hearts,” Blinken said. “But I sense a fierce determination in Israel to prevail, and prevail Israel will.”