Armed resistance in Gaza rooted in displacement and siege, not religion: Orthodox nun

Orthodox nun Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos has provided a rare perspective on the hardships faced by Palestinian Christians under Israeli occupation, adding that armed resistance in Gaza is rooted in displacement and siege, not religion. 

Mother Stephanopoulos, who has resided in the occupied West Bank town of Bethany since 1996, shared poignant details about the daily struggles of Christian Palestinians under Israeli occupation in a podcast with US commentator Tucker Carlson​​​​.

She highlighted the severe restrictions on movement, ongoing land confiscation, and the violence inflicted by Israeli forces and settlers.

"We are closed off in Bethany from going to our convent in Jerusalem because of the wall built on Palestinian land," she explained. "There’s a Christian home for boys that the Israelis just took over and cut up to make part of the wall."

During the interview, the topic of Christian Zionism emerged, a belief held by some that Jewish control over the Holy Land is essential for the second coming of Christ.

Mother Stephanopoulos criticized this viewpoint, asserting that it often overlooks the realities faced by local Christian communities.

Responses to the discussion were mixed. Some audience members praised the dialogue as an important perspective for US Christians, while others, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, accused Carlson of undermining Israel.

Palestinian Christians constitute approximately 10% of the global Palestinian population, mainly affiliated with Greek Orthodox or Catholic traditions.

In Israel, roughly 100,000 Palestinian Christians live, while around 45,000 reside in the occupied West Bank, and just over 1,000 remain in Gaza.

Many of these individuals face difficulties accessing holy sites due to Israeli restrictions. Since the onset of the genocidal war in October 2023, numerous churches in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed amid ongoing bombardments.

The late Pope Francis frequently expressed solidarity with Palestinian Christians, making daily calls to Gaza’s Holy Family Church.

His successor, Pope Leo XIV, has called for a ceasefire, though he has not continued the previous daily outreach.

Addressing the broader context of violence, Mother Stephanopoulos argued that the armed resistance seen in Gaza is driven by displacement and a prolonged siege rather than religious motivation.

"What is Hamas? Hamas are people who have had their homes taken from them… basically in an open-air prison for the last 20 years," she stated.

She also critiqued the disparate media coverage of Palestinian resistance compared to that of Ukraine, noting how acts of resistance, such as Molotov cocktails, are lauded in one context while condemned in another.

The nun concluded with a call for greater transparency regarding Israel's media restrictions, questioning why reporters are barred from entering Gaza and what information might be concealed.

"They call large portions of the West Bank military zones. What kind of press freedom is that? And what is [Israel] trying to hide?" she asked.

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