Displaced Palestinians gather on the coastal road near Wadi Gaza in the central Gaza Strip on Oct. 9 during an attempt to return to Gaza City after the announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting. Photo: Associated Press
[Episcopal News Service] As a potential ceasefire takes shape in Gaza, Episcopalians and Anglicans hopeful for peace are also lamenting the news that an Anglican Palestinian woman has been imprisoned in a closely watched case that has raised concerns of Israeli overreach.
Layan Nasir, 25, spent eight months last year in administrative detention by the Israeli government without charge. Nasir, a member of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in the occupied West Bank city of Birzeit was released in December 2024 but was convicted last month on unclear grounds in a court case that Anglican leaders said “lacks any legal or moral justification.” The court sentenced her to 7 1/2 months in prison.
On Oct. 9, the Very Rev. Richard Sewell, dean of St. George’s College in Jerusalem, posted an update on Facebook saying he was “shattered” by the news that Nasir had been taken to prison to serve her sentence.
Layan Nasir, a member of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in the occupied West Bank city of Birzeit, was sentenced to 7 1/2 months in prison on unclear charges.
“Layan and her family must now endure a further eight-month sentence in the brutal Israeli prison system.” Sewell said. “The timing is a particularly cruel blow but it’s a stark reminder of what Palestinians are truly up against in the continuing struggle which is not impacted by the agreement for Gaza.”
Israel and Hamas announced this week that they had agreed to take steps toward a truce to end two years of violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory’s densely packed civilian population.
Israel said the ceasefire would take effect Oct. 10, starting a 72-hour period in which both sides would exchange hostages and prisoners. Returning all remaining hostages has been a top priority of Israelis, while Palestinians and global leaders have urged Israel to end deadly airstrikes and military operations in Gaza, where more than 67,000 Palestinians are reported dead, neighborhoods were leveled, local infrastructure is in taters and survivors face an intensifying humanitarian crisis.
“I urge all to seize this momentous opportunity to establish a credible political path forward,” United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said. “A path towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, and achieving a two-state solution.”
Religious leaders in the Middle East also have been responding to the news of a ceasefire and hostage deal. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a statement welcoming the developments.
“The Patriarchate ardently hopes that this accord will be fully and faithfully implemented, so that it may mark the beginning of the end of this terrible war,” the statement said. “It also stresses the absolute urgency of immediate humanitarian relief and the unconditional entry of sufficient aid to Gaza’s suffering population. Above all, the Patriarchate prays that this step may open a path of healing and reconciliation for both Palestinians and Israelis.”
In the Church of England, a group of four bishops “with a close interest in the Holy Land” said they, too, welcomed the ceasefire, praying it will “bring immediate relief and comfort.”
“After two years of unimaginable death and destruction now is the time for all parties to turn away from war and commit to peace,” the bishops said. “A credible peace must start with a ceasefire, but it will not last without a fundamental shift in the attitudes and behaviors that, for too long, have maintained Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and thwarted Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The settler violence in the West Bank must cease and the settlement-expansion program must be reversed.”
And Churches for Middle East Peace, of which The Episcopal Church is a member, voiced “cautious hope” for the future of the region.
“After nearly two years of relentless warfare, widespread destruction and devastating loss of life, we pray this agreement marks a turning point toward peace, justice, and healing for all who call the Holy Land home,” Churches for Middle East Peace said.
– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.