At the start of the year, Bishop Declan Lang led a delegation of Catholic bishops to the Holy Land.

A key part of the pilgrimage was a visit to Gaza. This was Bishop Declan’s second time in this small Strip of Palestinian territory.

The contrast between his first visit in January 2014 and this one a year later couldn’t be more marked. After a destructive 50-day conflict much of Gaza City lies in ruins.

In this extended podcast, with sounds from Gaza, Bishop Declan is joined by Middle East North Africa consultant Dr Harry Hagopian to talk about the visit and the stark realities facing Gazans. How long before the next war?