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you also, Mrs Abu Zayd, and our other speakers. To all the officials of the

United Nations Relief and Works Agency who care for the refugees, I express

the appreciation felt by countless men and women all over the world for the

work that is done here and in other camps throughout the region.

I extend a particular greeting to the pupils and teachers in the school. By

your commitment to education you are expressing hope in the future. To all

the young people here, I say: renew your efforts to prepare for the time when

you will be responsible for the affairs of the Palestinian people in years to

come. Parents have a most important role here, and to all the families present

in this camp I say: be sure to support your children in their studies and to

nurture their gifts, so that there will be no shortage of well-qualified person-

nel to occupy leadership positions in the Palestinian community in the futu-

re. I know that many of your families are divided - through imprisonment

of family members, or restrictions on freedom of movement - and many of

you have experienced bereavement in the course of the hostilities. My heart

goes out to all who suffer in this way. Please be assured that all Palestinian

refugees across the world, especially those who lost homes and loved ones

during the recent conflict in Gaza, are constantly remembered in my prayers.

I wish to acknowledge the good work carried out by many Church agen-

cies in caring for refugees here and in other parts of the Palestinian Territo-

ries. The Pontifical Mission for Palestine, founded some sixty years ago to

coordinate Catholic humanitarian assistance for refugees, continues its much-

needed work alongside other such organizations. In this camp, the presence of

Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary calls to mind

the charismatic figure of Saint Francis, that great apostle of peace and re-

conciliation. Indeed, I want to express my particular appreciation for the

enormous contribution made by different members of the Franciscan family

in caring for the people of these lands, making themselves "instruments of

peace", in the time-honored phrase attributed to the Saint of Assisi.

Instruments of peace. How much the people of this camp, these Territories,

and this entire region long for peace! In these days, that longing takes on a

particular poignancy as you recall the events of May 1948 and the years of

conflict, as yet unresolved, that followed from those events. You are now living

in precarious and difficult conditions, with limited opportunities for employ-

ment. It is understandable that you often feel frustrated. Your legitimate

aspirations for permanent homes, for an independent Palestinian State, remain

unfulfilled. Instead you find yourselves trapped, as so many in this region and

throughout the world are trapped, in a spiral of violence, of attack and counter-

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