LONDON: The Archbishop of York has cautioned Israel against embarking on a 鈥渏ourney of revenge鈥� in his article for The Telegraph on Saturday.

Rev. Stephen Cottrell emphasized the dangers of 鈥渆ndless cycles of reprisals鈥� and the fallacy of believing in the principle of 鈥渕ight is right.鈥�

Referencing the Chinese philosopher Confucius, he said: 鈥淲hen you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves: one for your enemy and one for yourself.鈥�

His statement, while not directly referencing the Israel-Gaza war, came as the UN voted on whether to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel鈥檚 relentless bombardment has killed over 20,000 people, many of whom are civilians.

Cottrell also drew upon the words of Martin Luther King, writing: 鈥淰iolence begets violence, hate begets hate, and toughness begets a greater toughness. It is all a descending spiral, and the end is destruction 鈥� for everybody. Along the way of life, someone must have enough sense and morality to cut off the chain of hate.鈥�

Earlier in December, the House of Bishops released a statement condemning the loss of Palestinian civilian lives and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as unjustifiable.

Moreover, the archbishop expressed that amid war鈥檚 chaos and a world plagued by political extremism and corruption, divine guidance is still present. However, he warned that 鈥渁nyone hoping for a message combining instant justice with the extermination of tyranny and divine retribution is likely to be disappointed.鈥�