The Palestinian community in Chile has condemned the killing of Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Ra’i during Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the community said the 50-year-old priest was fatally wounded in the town of Qlaiaa while attempting to assist a person injured in an Israeli strike near his parish.
According to the statement, Father al-Ra’i went to help the wounded after a nearby house was bombed. The area was then struck again shortly afterwards, leaving him critically injured. He later died in hospital.
The Palestinian community in Chile said the incident should not be viewed as an isolated case, arguing that civilians from different religious backgrounds across the region have been affected by the ongoing violence.
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The statement added that people of various faiths — including Christians, Muslims and Druze — have been impacted by the conflict, noting that civilians often bear the heaviest consequences.
In a related context, the community also highlighted the situation facing Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem, a city of global religious significance.
It said many Palestinian Christians must obtain Israeli permits to travel to Jerusalem for prayer or religious events, and that these permits are frequently denied.
The community further pointed to concerns raised by Palestinian Christian institutions regarding land confiscation, settlement expansion, the separation barrier and military checkpoints, which they say have increasingly isolated Bethlehem from Jerusalem.
Concluding its statement, the Palestinian community in Chile expressed condolences to the Catholic Church and the Lebanese people, and reiterated its solidarity with civilians affected by the conflict.
READ: Spain ‘strongly condemns’ Israeli attacks on Lebanon, urges compliance with UN resolution
