(ANALYSIS) An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes since the Israeli military began bombing the Gaza Strip on Oct. 8, 2023, in retaliation for a surprise attack by Hamas militants. Many of these Palestinians have sought refuge in United Nations emergency shelters in a situation the World Health Organization has described as “catastrophic.”
Read MoreSince Hamas’ savage Oct. 7 cross-border assault on multiple army bases, kibbutzim, cities and a music festival near the Gaza Strip, staff at the Israel Defense Forces’ Shura Army Base have been working around the clock to identify the bodies of the 1,100 civilians and 315 soldiers, reservists and police officers massacred by jihadi terrorists.
Read More(OPINION) Caution is imperative by both Muslim and Jewish communities. There is no need to be added to a list of victims of these hate crimes as these lists are mere numbers to the world. It does not matter if you are pro-Palestine or pro-Israel. What matters most is humanity and being pro-peace.
Read MoreSandro Jadon was standing in the birthplace of Christ when he got the “Tzevaa Adom” alert on his phone. That’s Hebrew for “the color red” — a “red alert” notice on the messaging app Telegram. Hamas was firing rockets from Gaza. At first, the Arab Israeli tour guide and member of the Nazareth Church of Christ didn’t think much of it.
Read More(ESSAY) It’s been nearly three weeks since the attacks and Israel seems to be a country transformed. The turnaround from a nation bifurcated by protests for and against judicial reform just last month to one united by social cohesion has been extraordinary. Yet, the trauma from the Oct. 7 terror attack unleashed by Hamas that killed 1,300 civilians remains.
Read More(ESSAY) Amid the pain and suffering in the Middle East, it is good to be reminded that beautiful things also happen there. One such remembrance came on Oct. 11 with the funeral of Father Simaan Ibrahim in Muqattam, in the southeast of Cairo. It was a funeral, with much lament, but was also a joyous occasion that drew 30,000 people to worship in the of the monastery of St. Simaan the Tanner Church, which he founded and led for 50 years.
Read MoreThe harrowing footage featuring decapitations and torture was released to dispel what Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy characterized as “a Holocaust-denial-like phenomenon happening in real-time” as some on social media question the veracity of the Oct. 7 Hamas atrocities.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Amid the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war, observers in the region and internationally continue to make assumptions about Gazan public support for Hamas. Mistaken assumptions such as those by U.S. presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, claiming that all Gazans are “antisemitic,” or those that blame Gazans for “electing Hamas” may shape debates not only on how the war is perceived, but also over relief plans for Gazans in the months ahead.
Read MoreA blast went off at a building located on the campus of St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, a place where scores of Palestinians had been sheltering from Israeli air strikes. Some 500 Muslims and Christians had been staying on the church grounds following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians.
Read MoreThe heated discourse about the deadly rocket explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza is rooted in the centuries-old religious hatred underlying the current war in Gaza. Immediately after the blast, journalists accepted Hamas’ account blaming the Israel Defense Forces for the deadly attack.
Read MoreHaving weathered the pandemic, during which no tourists were admitted to Israel, the Custodians of the Holy Land now face the grim challenge of administering to their flock during the current war in Gaza. Once again, Christian pilgrims cannot reach or visit holy sites. Formerly crowded with pilgrims, churches remain open for now — but largely empty.
Read MoreAs Israeli forces mount a ground invasion of Gaza following last week’s Hamas attack on thousands of civilians, Christians across the Holy Land called for both sides to “de-escalate this war” and end this “new cycle of violence.” Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant leaders said the violence following Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 8 that killed 1,300 Israelis should come to an end.
Read MoreA week after the attacks and the number of dead Israelis has topped 1,300, making it the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. In response, Israel has been bombing Hamas targets and directed the evacuation of northern Gaza, a region that is home to 1.1 million people, in anticipation of a possible ground assault.
Read MoreLess than a week after Hamas attacked Israel, there is a debate in the Arab world as to whether the war crimes carried out by the terror group — including raping girls and abducting elderly women — should be condemned by practicing Muslims.
Read MoreOver the past few days, the Israeli war against Hamas has dominated conversations. Although this debate is going on practically everywhere in the world, for Kenyans it is a bit more personal since the country has been the target of militant Islamists. In addition, the East African nation was once proposed as a possible settlement for the then-stateless Jews.
Read More(ESSAY) We heard the multiple boom of Israel’s air defense system — known as Iron Dome — intercepting a rocket barrage fired from Gaza. The strike lit up the sky. The threat was over, at least until the next alert. Nearly 1,000 Israeli civilians had been killed, including 260 massacred at the Nova Music Festival near Kibbutz Re’im, after Hamas on Saturday launched a surprise attack.
Read MoreWhile tensions over Jewish and Muslim holy sites remain a contentious part of the war, Christians who live and work throughout the the Holy Land are also under attack. Amid all the destruction has been some positive news. Contrary to reports, Gaza City’s Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, built in the 12th century, was not destroyed in the bombings.
Read More(EXPLAINER) Two days after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack against Israel, fighting across the country and in Gaza continued. Some 900 Israelis have been killed since Saturday and more than 2,600 others have been wounded. How Israelis and Palestinians got here has been years in the making.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The parallels were striking — and surely not coincidental. Exactly 50 years and a day after being taken completely off guard by a coordinated military attack by its neighbors — Egypt and Syria — Israel was again caught by surprise.
Read More(OPINION) Heartbreak. Shock. Agony. Devastation. Confusion. Rage. These are just a few of the emotions flooding the hearts of millions of Israelis in the midst of an unprecedented terrorist attack by Hamas. This is a time to stop and pray for the merciful intervention of God.
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