The Church of Scotland has joined other churches from the Holy Land and around the world in calling for peace in Israel and Palestine, after thousands died following the outbreak of fighting in October.

On October 10 the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, issued a statement calling for ‘calm and active consideration for the innocent civilians who are suffering in Israel and Gaza’.

Mrs Foster-Fulton said: “Togetherwe agonise, yet again, over peace gone to pieces. We desperately try to fathom howwe can be any comfort to the members of our global family trapped in the middle of such a barrage ofviolence and fear. We are appalled by the horrifying levels of brutality and the inhumanity of mass murder scenes which were broadcast across our screens in horrifying, gut-wrenching detail… Peace in ourworld can never come through violence. Peace in our spirits can never come through revenge.”

The Rev David Cameron, convener of the Church of Scotland’s Assembly Trustees, had earlier written: “The Church of Scotland condemns this violence, condemns the actions of Hamas, calls for restraint as Israel rightly seeks to defend itself, and calls for a swift resolution to this war which leads to a significant change on the ground to this longstanding conflict. We pray for justice to prevail, knowing that violence can only lead to more death and destruction, so that all in the region may live in peace, Israelis and Palestinians alike.”