Archbishop Justin Welby, accompanied by the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, the Rt Revd Suheil Dawani, has visited two hospitals in Gaza City, led worship in the chapel of the city’s Anglican hospital, and met members of Gaza’s Christian community on the third day of his official trip to the Holy Land.
Archbishop Justin first visited St John Eye Hospital, where he was given a tour by Majed Abu Ramadan, who is President of the Palestinian Ophthalmological Society and a former Mayor of Gaza City. Archbishop Justin then went to the Anglican-run Ahli Arab Hospital, where he was given a tour by its director, Suhaela Tarazi. The Archbishop led a service in the hospital’s chapel with members of the Gazan Christian community, including members of the Near East Council of Churches. After the service he joined a lunch reception to hear from the Christian community about the particular challenges they face in Gaza.

Archbishop Justin also visited and laid a wreath at Gaza War Cemetery, where nearly three-thousand-seven hundred British and imperial troops from battles of Gaza in April and May 1917 are buried.