SAFA - The Palestinian Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs has warned that the rapid expansion of Israeli settlements across the occupied Palestinian territory is threatening the historic presence of Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land.

In a letter addressed to church leaders around the world on Sunday, the committee said Israeli settlement expansion, land confiscation, and restrictions on Palestinian development are undermining the ability of Palestinians, including Christians, to remain on their land.

 It warned that these policies endanger a continuous Christian presence in the Holy Land that has existed for nearly 2,000 years.

The warning follows the disclosure of a previously classified decision by Israel's Security Cabinet approving the establishment of 34 new settlements across the occupied West Bank.

According to the committee, six of the planned settlements are located in the Bethlehem governorate. The Israeli government has also allocated more than 2.3 billion shekels (approximately $760 million) to accelerate settlement construction, relocate settlers, and develop the infrastructure needed for the expansion.

The committee said the decision marks an advanced stage of a systematic policy aimed at creating permanent facts on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territory.

It warned that settlement plans in the Bethlehem area are designed to expand and connect settlement blocs while isolating the Palestinian cities of Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour from their surrounding communities. The plans also involve the confiscation of agricultural land, including land owned by Palestinian Christian families.

The committee added that the settlement project extends beyond urban expansion, aiming to reshape the geographic and demographic reality of the occupied Palestinian territory by linking settlements through roads and infrastructure. 

It said these measures violate international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and contradict the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

The committee called on church leaders worldwide to fulfill their spiritual, historical, and moral responsibilities by taking a clear stand against Israeli settlement expansion, annexation policies, and attempts to impose new realities on the ground. It also urged churches to support the protection of the Palestinian Christian presence and uphold international law in pursuit of a just peace that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people.