Gaza (MNN) — Yesterday’s airstrike on Holy Family Catholic Church, one of the few churches in Gaza, killed two and left several injured.
Uncharted Ministries’ Tom Doyle says, “There are three above-ground churches in Gaza. There’s a Catholic church, a Greek Orthodox church, and a Baptist church.”
Following the attack, Pope Leo called for “an immediate ceasefire.” In Qatar, truce talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled after two weeks, with each side blaming the other.
“They’re just not even close, really, on negotiations. A peace settlement has been offered many times to Hamas, and they’ve rejected it,” Doyle says.
“It’s a messy situation, but we pray there’s going to be a breakthrough and a settlement for peace sometime soon.”
Meanwhile, starvation is spreading in Gaza. The UN says one in three people goes hungry for days. Uncharted partners with the Baptist church in Gaza to distribute food and help people find shelter.
“There are Muslims who have become believers, and so they are the secret church,” Doyle says. “There are groups all over the Gaza Strip. We’re trying to help them as they’re going through difficult times living in tents.”
Pray for a breakthrough in the ceasefire negotiations.
“We’re just praying that God would intervene and there would be a peace treaty that would stick,” Doyle says. “We pray the hostages would be released, and the poor people in Gaza who have endured this for almost 700 days now, could have a better life.”
Learn more about Uncharted’s work in the Middle East here.
Header image depicts Gaza war damages circa 2023. (Wikimedia Commons)
