AN online Book of Condolence in memory of all the innocent victims caught up in the most intense period of Israeli-Palestinian violence in years, has been opened today by the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Brian Tierney.
Hundreds of children have been killed or injured in the ongoing conflict, as well as protestors and military personnel, as the country continues to be bombarded by heavy missiles, and mobs attack opposing communities.
Mayor Tierney said that as international concerns grow about the escalating situation, it was important for the world to show solidarity with the many innocent people caught up in the violence, and he urged local people to take the opportunity to express their sympathy.
“As a society emerging from a significant period of conflict I think that it’s important that we stand shoulder to shoulder with the innocent people affected by this violence and share our condolences with those who have lost loved ones,” he declared.
“This is a historic conflict and there are no easy answers to resolving the deeply ingrained issues that divide these two communities but violence, as we know from our own experience, is not the answer.
“I want to express my own condemnation and join calls for a truce until a peaceful resolution can be sought.
“Children are living in terror, too scared to sleep at night as missiles fall around them, afraid they won’t wake up in the morning. Tension is rife and communities are living in fear of attacks from angry mobs, powerless to protect their families amidst the chaos.
“By opening this Book of Condolence today I want to provide an opportunity for local people to communicate their sympathies to those bereaved, to those living in terror and to show that we are horrified by this careless disregard for human life.”
The Book of Condolence is now available to sign online at: https://www.derrystrabane.com/Subsites/Mayor/Mayors-Book-of-Condolences
