Middle East (MNN)–With Fatah and Hamas shooting at each other, the potential for civil war in the Middle East is escalating.
So far, truce efforts have been unsuccessful. As the meltdown progresses, Hamas’ prime minister promised that the fighting would not evolve into a full-blown civil war. This, in advance of high-level meetings between rival Palestinian factions.
Yet his words were belied by a second attack on security commanders in the volatile area in less than a week. A Gaza security chief was killed when his car blew up Wednesday, following the assasination of a security chief. He was the head of the security branch spearheading the confrontation against the Hamas militia.
Usually, such activity has Christians caught in the crossfire, not for religious reasons, but because they’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And yet, there is cause for concern. Militant Muslims have been known to target believers because they associate Christianity with the West.
E3 Partners’ Tom Doyle says in spite of the tensions, their ministry partners have not stopped working. “There have been some breakthroughs where people have come to Christ, and there’s a new openness in the refugee camps, so the bad things that are happening there have really forced typical Muslims to look at the situation and evaluate their lives.”
A dangerous place to be, in between warring parties. Noting that the evangelistic passion appears undimmed, Doyle adds, “There is one church in the Gaza strip and they have a multi-faceted ministry all of those lead to an opportunity to share the Gospel. So, if you could just pray for the team there, and for the church in Gaza, for their boldness, their safety in the midst of conflict.”
