Gaza’s Christians Feed The Starving Across Faith Traditions
“A love offering from the Baptist Church in Gaza” proclaims the sign as Christian Mission to Gaza serves hot meals to both Christians and Muslims in the Gaza Strip, where people are starving to death.
CMG served about 2,000 hot meals over the weekend July 24-26 in the name of Gaza Baptist, said Hanna Massad, who served as the church’s first Palestinian pastor before founding CMG. But the meals only touch a small fraction of those in need.
Massad continues to hold online prayer services each Sunday with about 30 online connections, including members of Gaza Baptist Church and other Gazans, he told Baptist Press as he prepared to preach and teach at two Southern Baptist churches in Texas July 27-29.
At least 63 people died of starvation in the Gaza Strip this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported July 27 in a press release, including 25 children and 38 adults, with 24 of the children under the age of five. The bodies of the dead bore “clear signs of severe wasting,” WHO said.
Malnutrition is spiraling out of control in Gaza, WHO reported, with more than 5,000 children under five seeking outpatient treatment for malnutrition in the first two weeks of July alone, about 20 percent suffering Severe Acute Malnutrition, the most life-threatening form. In June, 6,500 children were admitted for treatment, the highest number recorded since October 2023, WHO reported.
The CMG meal distributions have managed to avoid the Israeli attacks that WHO said killed 1,060 people and injured 7,200 others at food distributions sites in Gaza since May 27, including friends of the church community.
Massad tells of a friend whose 40-year-old nephew died while trying to retrieve food.
“I have a friend, my neighbor, he lost his nephew,” Massad said. “He went to get a bag of flour to feed his family, and he’d been shot, killed.”
The Israeli government, which had accused Hamas of fabricating news of a hunger crisis and starvation deaths, began food airdrops July 27 and announced tactical pauses in attacks on three highly populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours daily to allow food distributions, the Associated Press and other news outlets reported.
Two families are living in what remains of Gaza Baptist, Massad said of the church that had dwindled to 60 members because of persecution before the Israel-Hamas War, and was heavily damaged by Israeli bombs in late 2023.
“We’ll need to see after the war what to do,” Massad said of the church. “But we continue to minister to the Christian community.”
Massad preached the morning sermon July 27 at PaulAnn Baptist Church in San Angelo, Texas, updating worshipers on the war’s impact on Gaza and the work of CMG, and is speaking to adults at Vacation Bible School July 28 and 29 at First Baptist Church in Garland, he told Baptist Press.
President Donald Trump recognized the starvation crisis July 28, pledging U.S. food aid and urging Israel to secure its distribution.
Israeli attacks continue to strike the Christian community, Massad said, with airstrikes hitting the Latin Church in Gaza July 18, killing three Christians and injuring 10 others, including a priest.
The International Mission Board has raised about $750,000 in its response to the crisis in the Holy Land, IMB reports, and continues to accept donations here.
CMG accepts donations here.
This article has been republished courtesy of Baptist Press.
Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.