Gaza: War 'only a question of time'
12 Jan 2011
A senior Israeli army officer has told the BBC that as long as Hamas remains in control of the Gaza Strip, another war is ‘only a question of time’. He said the Palestinian Islamist group had re-armed so much since the Israeli offensive two years ago that it was now in a stronger position militarily. There has been an increase in rocket fire coming from Gaza in the past week. Earlier, Israeli defence officials said tanks fitted with a new missile defence system would be deployed near Gaza. The UN has condemned the firing of ‘indiscriminate’ rocket and mortar attacks by militants in Gaza in recent weeks. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat also warned that tensions were escalating in the region, and that any Israeli attack on Gaza would only lead to further bloodshed. ‘Military solutions such as these won't achieve anything and will only complicate the situation,’ Mr Erekat said. Pray: for a speedy resolution to the Gaza situation and against any new conflict. (Pr.6:4)
Gaza: Egypt eases blockade
07 Jun 2010Over 100 Gazans crossed the border into Egypt when they temporarily eased its blockade following the Gaza-bound flotilla incident. On Wednesday at Rafah people crossed the border on foot along with four trucks carrying tents, blankets and 13 power generators donated by Russia and Oman, plus two buses with 150 Palestinians including patients seeking medical assistance abroad and those with foreign residency permits. Israel’s friends as well as foes are calling for Israel to lift the Gaza blockade. Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not lift the siege citing ‘ongoing weapons smuggling into Gaza and the ease of these transfers could be facilitated without a naval, air and land blockade.’ The Egyptian blockade was imposed after Hamas took power in Gaza. Palestinians regularly smuggle arms, fuel and goods from Egypt through underground tunnels while above the Egyptian government is constructing a 7 mile, bomb-proof, steel barrier along the border that goes 59ft underground. See:
Pray: that this incident would birth changes that enable Gaza’s communities and businesses to flourish while enabling Israel to protect herself from terrorism. (Ps.12:5&7)
More: http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/06/02/conroe_courier/news/0603_natwlrdbrfs.txt
Gaza: Convoy of humanitarian aid
01 Jun 2010Eight cargo ships with more than 10,000MT of building materials, medical equipment, medicines, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines, unavailable in Gaza, CT scanners, X-ray and kidney dialysis machines will set sail for the Gaza Strip on 27 May in a symbolic attempt by activists to break the three-year Israeli blockade. Scores of smaller vessels carrying passengers from 140 nations are part of the ‘flotilla’ which will attempt to dock in Gaza City on 28 May. Passengers include 50 parliamentary members from EU and Arab nations, and Israeli Knesset member Hanin Zoabi. Israeli foreign affairs ministry spokesperson described the fleet as a ‘publicity stunt’ adding ‘International aid organizations and the private sector of Gaza ensure that all the necessary food, medicine and clothing are provided to the Strip via Israel.’
Pray: for God to spread his protection over the needy and have mercy on those suffering injustice. (Ps.9:8-9)
More: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89255
Gaza: A generation of casualties
19 May 2010Israel's foreign minister warned Palestinians against plans to declare independence next year saying the move could prompt Israel to annex parts of the West Bank and annul past peace agreements. His remarks took aim at a Palestinian policy coming out of the stalled U.S. peace talks. see Last Friday Israeli warplanes, responding to Palestinian border assaults, bombed the Gaza Strip resulting in two children being hospitalised. The children of Gaza have much misery to contend with as they try to put memories of the war behind them. Much of Gaza is still piles of sand and rubble. The winter rains have brought leaks and floods for family homes and the blockades cause many shortages of necessities. Currently there is a shortage of cooking gas. Power cuts are also commonplace making it very difficult for children to study at night. The children are stuck in Gaza with little hope of the freedom we take for granted.
Pray: for the children of Gaza to have a future and a hope; pray also for the Palestinian Christians to have all their prayers powerfully answered. (Ps.69:32-33,36)
More: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/articles/children-of-gaza-filmmakers-feature
Gaza Strip: Israeli raids after rockets
22 Jun 2012Israeli warplanes carried out three raids against the Gaza Strip Wednesday after militants pounded Israel with rockets. The raids targeted a training centre for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas at Rafah in the south of the Strip, a ‘workshop’ in Gaza City and Hamas naval police installations in the north. The Brigades fired 45 rockets in 24 hours at Israeli territory injuring four border guards, one seriously, after a direct hit on a border police outpost. The rocket attacks on Israel came after six Palestinians were killed and five others injured in a series of air strikes across the coastal strip. In a rare show of force, militants from the armed wing of the ruling Hamas movement said they would continue firing unless the air strikes ended. There has been a sharp increase in rocket fire recently. An anonymous Gaza Palestinian official said Egypt was making efforts to restore calm between the Palestinian movements and Israel.
Pray: God would protect the innocent, repair the broken hearts, renew the minds of those in pain, and infuse hope and life into minds set on retribution. (Job 8:6)
Gaza Strip and West Bank: Christianity
09 Nov 2011The economy is improving in the Gaza Strip, but many families are trapped in a cycle of poverty and hopelessness. Missile attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel also continue to plague this territory - with Israel retaliating and causing damage to buildings and lives. Persecution by radical Muslims is a great challenge for Christians who are a minority of the population, however, Christian humanitarian aid workers report, ‘the Lord is moving in the Gaza Strip. The tremendous need is bringing a great openness to the Gospel.’ More than 90% of the residents in the West Bank are Arab and mostly Muslim. The percentage of Christians is very small and they too face persecution for their faith. However, according to Operation World, ’the number of evangelicals has grown into the thousands. They are persevering and praying for a great harvest of souls despite Islamic intimidation.’
Pray: for peace and unity between Palestinian Christians and Messianic Jews, and for those who have been misled by Islam so they wont have the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. (Ps.133:1-2; 2Cor.4:4)
More: http://win1040.com/page.php?id=541
G20: Leaders agree to halve deficits by 2013
02 Jul 2010
Leaders at the G20 summit in Toronto, Canada have agreed to cut national budget deficits in half by 2013. Heads of state also agreed to new rules that would force British banks to boost their funds by £130 billion to reduce the risk of another Lehman Brothers-style collapse. In a reversal from the unity of the past three crisis-era Group of 20 Summits, the leaders decided to adopt ‘differentiated and tailored’ economic policies for each country. ‘Our challenges are as diverse as our nations,’ US President Barack Obama said. ‘But together we represent some 85 per cent of the global economy, and we have forged a coordinated response to the worst global economic crisis of our time.’ George Osborne, Chancellor of the Excequer, hailed the G20 statement as a vindication of the coalition government's policy. A sign of how much work was involved to forge the G20 consensus, is that negotiators spent at least 45 hours drafting the summit's final communique. Pray: that the policies the world leaders have adopted will not only benefit the rich but also the poorer nations. (Ecc.5:11)
Free speech and religion in Russia
17 Jan 2011A survey by a Russian think tank shows that the Russian people are conflicted over freedom of expression and perceived attacks on Christianity. This past summer, sociologists at the Levada Centre found that 58 percent of Russians believe people should enjoy freedom of speech, which means they have the right to publicly criticize religion. At the same time, 21 percent believe that the authorities should have the right to fine or imprison people who publicly criticize religion because such criticism could ‘undermine the reputation of the church.’ The survey comes in the wake of a high-profile trial of two Russian intellectuals who organized a 2006 exhibition called ‘Forbidden Art', and were subsequently charged with degrading and insulting the Christian faith and believers. The art depicted an Orthodox icon of the Virgin Mary made out of caviar. Western-style freedom of speech is still scarce in the former Soviet Union.
Pray: that such controversies will open up opportunities for the Gospel and so transform the hearts and lives of many people. (Jn.15:18)