The Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun, the Church of England’s lead bishop for the Middle East, together with the Bishops of Chelmsford, Gloucester and Norwich, said there now needs to be a “fundamental shift in attitudes and behaviour” to secure long-term peace.

They said that what had happened in Israel and Gaza “must never be allowed to happen again, anywhere” and pledged to continue to stand in solidarity with the Churches of the Holy Land.

They said: “We hope and pray that today’s agreement will bring immediate relief and comfort to those imprisoned and held hostage, to those who are hungry and homeless and to those fearful for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. After two years of unimaginable death and destruction now is the time for all parties to turn away from war and commit to peace.

“A credible peace must start with a ceasefire, but it will not last without a fundamental shift in the attitudes and behaviours that, for too long, have maintained Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and thwarted Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The settler violence in the West Bank must cease and the settlement-expansion programme must be reversed.

“We call on our own Government and the wider international community to now work tirelessly in order for Hamas, and for other Palestinian factions, to fully commit to decommissioning their arms and dismantling their military capabilities, while at the same time securing the necessary commitments from Israel to end the occupation in accordance with the International Court of Justice’s ruling of July 19, 2024.

“All wars, even this war in Gaza, are subject to international law. Where those laws have been broken, those responsible must be held accountable, even after the war’s end.

“To do otherwise would be to undermine respect for the rules of war and to encourage a culture of impunity in future conflicts. What we have seen in Gaza these last two years must never be allowed to happen again, anywhere. Similarly, the attack on Southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and the killings and taking of hostages must never be repeated anywhere.

“We continue to hold that the only path to a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians, is a two-state solution that provides for a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

“To that end, we will continue to stand in solidarity with the Churches of the Holy Land in ensuring that their people’s voices, including their hopes and their anxieties as to the future, are not ignored in the weeks and months ahead.

“A lasting peace is not one that that is imposed by outside powers, but one that is built and owned by the affected communities themselves. Palestinian Christians have an important part to play in that process and we will support them in their efforts to be peacemakers.”

• The Rt Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford
• The Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester
• The Rt Rev Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich
• The Rt Rev Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark