Gaza (MNN) — Israel seeks last-minute changes to a Gaza truce deal, wanting Palestinians to be screened before returning north. Meanwhile, Hamas rejects Israel’s latest proposal for a hostage release deal without reading the contents.
Peace remains elusive in the enclave, where 150,000 Palestinians fled a new Israeli offensive in Khan Younis last week. As part of the offensive, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of five hostages taken in Hamas’ October 7 siege.
Israeli officials say 115 hostages remain held in Gaza, including at least 41 who are believed to be dead. The terror attack on October 7 killed 1,200 people and saw around 250 taken hostage.
MENA Leadership Center’s Fadi Sharaiha says, “What’s happening in Gaza reflects what’s happening in the region. People are suffering, whether they are in Lebanon, whether they are in Israel, in the northern part, or Gaza.”
Heightened proxy wars between Israel and Iran in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen keep believers on edge. At the same time, “The presence of Christians in Gaza is now disappearing,” Sharaiha says.
“They had been talking about 4,000 Christians. Now, they’re talking about less than 1,000 Christians; so many of them have been killed.”
Those who remain have few options. Though they want to stay in their homeland, Palestinian Christians see their future growing increasingly dim. “Many of them are trying to go outside of Gaza [to] find refuge in some other countries,” Sharaiha says.
Keep praying for an end to the war. Ongoing combat keeps aid workers at a distance, but eventually, compassionate Christians will be able to help people in need.
Join MLC’s efforts to train and prepare these Gospel workers here. Your sponsorship allows believers to access refugee care training at a greatly minimized cost.
“Nobody knows what’s going to happen the day after the war. Things are not clear at all,” Sharaiha says. Despite the uncertainty, “we want to be more than ready,” he adds.
“We want to make sure that we are equipping people (aid workers) to do the job well. That’s why we are preparing Christian leaders in the region to do that.”
Header image is a representative photo of destruction in the Gaza Strip. Photo courtesy of Mohammed Ibrahim/Unsplash.
