Salim Munayer, Professor of Theology at Bethlehem Bible College, reflects on the hope he has found in the scriptures amid the 15 months of war in Gaza. He calls on us, as Christians, to act on that hope and bear testimony to it.

Al Ahli Hospital has been a beacon of light amid the devastation in Gaza, with dedicated medical staff serving patients in great need – despite severe shortages of medicine and equipment. As a fragile ceasefire takes hold, its role will continue to be pivotal as it responds to an enormous volume of medical needs. In this blog, we take a look back at the steadfast service at Al Ahli’s hospital and clinic over the past 15 months.

“The civilian population is paying a heavy price, a cost the Gaza population can ill afford, a cost I don’t believe we should accept,”  writes Embrace’s CEO Jamie Eyre. “More arms and violence are not the answer…we should not sit silent.”

Lack of tourists, strict movement restrictions and rising insecurity have crippled the West Bank economy. Bethlehem is particularly hard hit and so Embrace is funding a new project to create much-needed employment opportunities and support local businesses and services.

"The lives of the Palestinians, especially in Gaza, are not collateral damage; they are human beings, enduring unspeakable violence…” words from our Christian partners in Gaza and the West Bank reveal the crushing grief felt after a year of violence, fear, loss and death. But they continue to live out their faith.

2024 has been an extraordinarily difficult year so far for all our partners in the West Bank as tensions, restrictions and violence continue to increase. The Jerusalem Princess Basmas Centre (JBPC) provides specialist disability support to children across the West Bank. The team recently gave us an update on what the year has been like for them so far.

As a Jewish-Israeli, I carry much pain in our violent reality, but perhaps my truer human pain is the fear of taking a public stance against the continuation of this war, against violence from both sides, and most of all the loss of human compassion. 

While the attention of the world media has been on the catastrophic situation in Gaza, life in the West Bank has also become intolerable. Embrace’s David McColl shares his experiences of meeting partners for the first time in the West Bank - and draws parallels between their compassion and the parable of the Good Samaritan.

“It’s important to be angry but to channel it in the right direction. Anger is different from hatred. If we are not angry about what is going on now, there is something wrong with our humanity.”