[World Council of Churches] World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Jerry Pillay led a delegation that met with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, West Bank, on Feb. 19, and he urged an end to the “seemingly endless cycle of violence and suffering.”

Pillay noted the unique role and mandate of the WCC in listening to and amplifying the voices and testimonies of member churches and partners in the Holy Land, and he affirmed the WCC’s ongoing commitment to work for just peace for all people.

Abbas briefed the delegation on the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territory and in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem – and stressed the immediate urgency for a ceasefire.

The delegation also met with the leadership of the Palestinian Presidential Committee on Church Affairs in Ramallah to discuss the role of Christians in the region and the importance to keep the status quo with Jerusalem as the city of three religions.

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