Now, nearly two years after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the war has extended the nightmare of violence to hundreds of thousands of people. On that fateful day, over 1200 Israelis were killed or kidnapped, with 151,442 people physically injured. The death and destruction have continued (see sidebar).
In addition to the homes and villages destroyed by Hamas, much of the civilian infrastructure of Gaza, including civilian residential structures, has been damaged or destroyed. As the violence has spilled over into the West Bank, Palestinians living there continue to be threatened and attacked. As in any situation of war, these “estimates” of casualties and destruction only begin to tell the world about the physical, psychological and spiritual trauma suffered daily by those living and working in the region.
In his encyclical Fratelli Tutti (FT), Chapter 7, Pope Francis discusses war and peacemaking. He reminds us that every war leaves our world worse than it was before. To understand this, he invites us to listen to the stories of those who have suffered
Death and Destruction Continue
As of August 7, 2025, it is estimated that the retaliatory war against Hamas in Gaza has claimed 454 Israeli soldiers in Gaza (with another 2,864 injured), 61,158 Palestinians (with 151,442 injured), and 955 Palestinians in the West Bank (with 9,272 injured).
(Data on the number of fatalities and injuries are based on the UNOCHA—United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs— reporting by both parties to the conflict.)
the violence of war, to look them in the eyes, and to open our hearts. Only then can we begin to perceive the abyss of evil at the heart of war.
We, the Franciscan Sisters Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (FCJM), call on people of goodwill throughout the world to pray for peace and an end to the violence that only causes more suffering, distrust, and hatred. In FT, paragraph 26, Pope Francis reminds us that “Renewed encounter does not mean returning to a time prior to conflicts… Pain and conflict transform us…. Those who were once enemies have to speak from the stark and clear truth. They have to learn how to cultivate a penitential memory, one that can accept the past….only by basing themselves on the historical truth of events will they be able to make a broad and persevering effort to understand one another and strive for a new synthesis for the good of all.” Peacemaking depends on such honest and open encounters. Only then can negotiation begin to shape concrete paths to peace. As Pope Paul VI said: If you want peace, work for justice.’
We call for prayer, an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Gaza, and massive internationally supervised humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza who face more suffering from water shortages, starvation, illness, and the coming cold weather of winter. We call for the immediate release of any remaining Israelis held captive in Gaza. Once these actions are implemented, we call on all parties involved to begin listening to one another’s stories, fears, hopes, and dreams for the future, so that together, a just and lasting peace can finally be achieved. This long and painstaking process is the only way forward toward a secure and prosperous future for all. May God bless all of us as together we pray and work for justice and peace.