|TOP|The General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) has joined the chorus of calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, as the death toll climbs over 600.

In his statement, the Venerable Colin Williams said: “The call for a ceasefire has up to now gone unheeded by those who have the power to effect it. It appears that neither the Israeli Government nor Hezbollah, nor those who stand behind the Israeli Government and those who stand behind Hezbollah, are willing to countenance a cease-fire until such time as their own military and political purposes are closer to being achieved.”

The latest figures indicate that the death toll of the conflict has now climbed over 600, with most of the dead being civilians.

“The victims of this strategy are not its authors but the hundreds of civilians who have been killed as well as the civilians, now more than half a million, who have been driven from their homes. Geopolitical policy is being made without regard to its impact on individual human lives.

|QUOTE|“The already dubious phrase ‘collateral damage’ has been stretched beyond all reason,” said Archdeacon Williams.

In the statement, the CEC commended churches throughout Europe for their activeness in “faithfully and persistently entering into dialogue with their governments so as to encourage them to use their influence on those responsible for violence in the Middle East”.

The CEC called for further issues to be addressed, including the need for secure corridors that will allow humanitarian aid to be delivered.

The statement also highlighted the urgent plight of the more than half a million individuals who have now been displaced from their homes as a result of the conflict, urging this to be given a high priority.

The CEC called on member churches to “continue to promote moves to defuse the crisis in the region with immediate cessation of hostilities on both fronts and steps to restore stability and retrieve the comprehensive peace process”.

It added that member churches do all they could to support humanitarian assistance initiatives already underway in the region and suggested that member churches set apart Sunday 6th August as a day of prayer for the situation.