His Beatitude Kyrios Theophilos III, the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan, has called for an end to the war in Gaza and a just resolution to the Palestinian cause, including the establishment of their state with its capital in East Jerusalem.

During the annual pilgrimage ceremony at the site of the Baptism of Christ, he stated, "From our holy land, we are called as children of God to walk in His name. We are called to remove the perennial darkness and move towards the light, becoming children of the Kingdom."

"From the waters of the Jordan, all of nature is sanctified. Our holy land received God and became a heaven blessed by Him, and through it, the whole world is blessed. He called on people from all over the world to pilgrimage and seek blessings from this sacred place," he added.