Why is this so? A man we’ll call Brother Y points to media coverage as one reason. He is an ex-IDF soldier and a Jew who gave his life to Yeshua the Messiah, serving with Global Catalytic Ministries. He says the press has been almost unanimous in the push against Israel in its struggle.  

For example, you will see images of Israeli soldiers with weapons, without understanding what they’re doing. Instead of seeing Hamas fighters or masterminds on the other side, “almost 100% of the time you see the populace, who are suffering,” says Brother Y. 

“So it’s very easy to lose your critical thinking when you see that, and just go for your heart. Praise God, people have a heart, and they go by their God-given emotions. But that can really skew the view of reality and what’s happening.”

At the same time, there have been tens of thousands of casualties in Gaza. The Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry puts the death toll above 67,000. 

“That breaks our heart, especially as people of the faith,” says Brother Y. “And I can tell you that it breaks the hearts of my people Israel who are not yet followers of Messiah. There’s a big heartbreak, lots of discussions, lots of protests. ‘Let’s try to find a better way of doing this.'”

Genocide: who and where? 

In September 2025, a United Nations inquiry announced its conclusion that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Brother Y says this is a debunked myth.

A home in Kibbutz Nir Oz after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. In the October 7, 2023 surprise attack on the Gaza border communities, Hamas either killed, injured or abducted about one quarter of the 400 residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz.
(Wikimedia Commons)

“[In] all of Palestinian Authority-controlled cities, there are zero Jews,” he points out. “Inside Israel, there are close to 2 million Arabs living with full rights, unlike any other country in the Middle East. They have full voting, full protest rights. So there’s no apartheid. There’s no genocide. For two years now, a genocide could have taken place in one week if we wanted, with the weaponries that Israel has.”

He speaks bluntly on these things because he interacts with many people who used to stand with Israel. “[They] used to stand — generally, not with everything,” he clarifies. “Neither [do] I stand with everything my government does. But [many would] generally stand with Israel who have now turned their backs, mainly because of media brainwashing.”

Israel’s enemy is Hamas, not Palestinians. The terrorist group’s original 1988 charter, though revised since then, called for the annihilation of Israel.  A study published online by Cambridge University Press analyzed the October 7, 2023, attack. It concluded that yes, Hamas’s actions meet the criteria for genocide under international law. 

The gospel: for one and all

In all the evil and suffering of this two-year conflict, Brother Y says there is one Messiah to look to. 

“The suffering servant of the Lord, who came into our human suffering, and who says, ‘It’s neither who’s right, you guys are right, or your enemies, or the people on the other side. It’s “we’re all wrong.”‘ We’ve all sinned against the mighty God. God reached down and forgave us, His previous enemies, and made us friends and household of God.”

One Israeli Jew heard Brother Y sharing the gospel and asked, “As amazing as this message sounds, you really think hearts can change? People who’ve suffered so much on both sides can suddenly lay down their weapon[s] and say, ‘Yes, I see this bleeding Messiah. I see the suffering servant of the Lord’?”

Brother Y replied, “I’ve seen this again and again, that even when we don’t have answers, then we look at Yeshua, who suffered, and He calls us himself, He calls us to receive His heart, and supernaturally, He allows us to forgive on both sides.”

This was Brother Y’s own story of change. It’s also the story of Corrie ten Boom, whom Brother Y told his friend about.

Please pray

Whatever stance you have on the Israel-Hamas war, please pray for the people caught in the controversies and crossfire.

“Pray for justice and righteousness. Pray for more freedom of information, because that’s really important. Information and education, even as [it] is, can bring dialogue,” says Brother Y. 

“Pray for the workers who are sowing the seeds of the gospel. Pray for the fire, the power of the gospel, to really breathe upon these people who are going out, because I believe eventually, this is the only hope.”

Header photo: Israeli intelligence officers, 2022. (Stock photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy via Unsplash)

The strike also sends a message about the escalating conflict that began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th last year.

Sasson Pochtar, a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces and the Youth Pastor at Beit Hallel Congregation, says, “At the beginning, they were saying that Iran probably will not respond. But now, after they realized how big of an attack it was, [Iran] is trying to hide everything that happened. But Israel was attacking in really specific places that kind of shows them if it continues that way, we definitely will escalate that.”

Sasson Pochtar, left (Photo courtesy of Sasson Pochtar with Beit Hallel Congregation)

The war with Iran and its terror proxies is Israel’s longest war since the end of the 1949 conflict.

“We’re not used to having such a long war, so for us, it’s a new challenge,” says Pochtar.

“It’s a really hard situation. We feel that we’re getting really tired of being so long in the field. But we understand the cause, and we understand that what we do is necessary because, if not us, who will do it?”

In war and conflict, especially when it’s drawn out, civilians and military members alike ask spiritual questions and search for hope.

Please pray for the people of Israel to know the sustaining promises of Jesus Christ. Ask God to encourage Israeli Christians in their Gospel witness.

Pochtar says, “We really feel the prayers. We know that our brothers and sisters around the world [are] praying for us. We feel that a lot of miracles [are] happening. I had many miracles that I really felt the prayers of people.”

Learn more about Beit Hallel Congregation’s ministry!

Header photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo courtesy of IDF Spokesperson’s Unit/Wikimedia Commons: https://tinyurl.com/2s4hb6aw)

Meanwhile, the mood is heavy as Israeli troops prepare to invade Rafah. Death is an ever-present possibility.

“I heard someone say once, ‘There are no atheists in the trenches of war,’ and I can say that for a fact,” says Zev Sigulim, a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces. He partners with MegaVoice to distribute audio Bibles among IDF troops.

Presenting “non-Jewish” ideas isn’t always a popular task.

“There was some religious Jewish radio station warning soldiers of being targeted for missionary work, which makes you think twice about going into the trenches and giving soldiers audio Bibles,” Sigulim says.

However, now is the prime time to introduce Scripture because “Jewish people are all interested in this subject of the Messiah,” he continues.

“God is right now being talked about in the trenches; you’ve got people who are semi-religious talking with secular Israelis, and then there are those who are genuinely interested in knowing about God and Jesus in the New Testament.”

MegaVoice’s solar-powered audio Bibles typically bring God’s Word to unreached groups of people in the world’s most remote locations. More about that here. Today, MegaVoice is providing God’s Word in audio to those on the frontlines of freedom in Israel.

Admittedly, not all IDF soldiers are initially drawn to the audio Bibles because they want to hear Scripture. “Some of the units have a flashlight and a radio … and having that ability creates somewhat of an interest for a secular person,” Sigulim says.

“A lot of the IDF right now is war, fighting, and shooting. But a majority of it is guard duty and standing watch. You can’t watch TV or be on your smartphone, but you can have a radio. You can put your earphones in one ear, listen to the radio, and hear what’s going on.”

(Photo courtesy of MegaVoice)

Believers have distributed more than 1,500 units so far.

“There are two types of missionary work you can talk about in the Israeli army. There’s missionary work by Israelis, like me, who are friends with non-believing Israeli soldiers saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got an audio Bible here; would you be interested in it?’” Sigulim says.

“Then, there are organizations who come with their people [and] they want to serve … giving soldiers food and tactical gear and medical equipment that is much needed, [as well as] handing them an audio Bible,” he continues.

“The Christian community at large has made a huge impact because even the religious soldiers, they don’t care about the rabbis [who say], you know, ‘No, no, don’t accept help from these nice Christian people!’ When you’re in the trenches, you’ll take what you can get.”

Pray IDF soldiers who want to know the truth will receive a MegaVoice audio Bible.

Additionally, “pray for Israel, pray for the soldiers, and pray for Israeli believers who are fighting for their country,” Sigulim requests.

“Pray for this spiritual war that is going to affect all of us.”

Header image depicts IDF Multi-Dimensional Unit fighters maneuvering on the ground in the Gaza Strip in the Iron Swords War.(Wikimedia Commons)