Colette writes: As Israelis mourn their murdered love ones and await news of captured hostages, the world watches in horror as the death toll rises from retaliatory actions in Gaza and the situation becomes intolerable for people living there in constant fear of bombing and dwindling resources. Where will it end? What can we do?

Below we publish statements from Pope Francis, Cardinal Vincent, Mgr Jim Curry, Pax Christi and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and invite you to read the more detailed texts in full.