Hanaan: "When the war ends, I want to go to my school, play with my friend, play with my toys again, and rest." Joline: "I hope the war ends and that I return to school. We are lifting up prayers for the war to end." Wael: "We want peace in Gaza. We are very tired, and we want to return to our schools and homes."
These are the simple hopes and prayers of Gaza's youngest, captured at one of the last open churches in Gaza City. They reflect the desires of all of the believers caught in the crossfire: a normal, peaceful life, free from war. The quotes are from a
series of powerful videos our partners recently captured while filming at the church in Gaza City. Even as bombs went off in the distance and planes flew overhead, these children shared their hopes and prayers for a better tomorrow.
This month marks the two-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, when Hamas—the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza—attacked civilians in Israel, killing more than 1,200 and kidnapping more than 250 people. Since then, Israel has gone on the offensive in a war that has left thousands dead in Gaza and even occasionally spread to other countries. Since the start of the war, when some 600 Christians fled from their homes and took shelter in the compounds of the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius church and the Catholic Holy Family Church in Gaza City, the largest city in the two territories of Palestine, Christians—like most Palestinian civilians—have felt stuck in the middle of the conflict.
For 610 days and counting, these believers have survived in these compounds, unable to go to school or work, or walk into their city, which has seen widespread devastation.
The current situation in Gaza City is horrific. In early September, Israel issued evacuation orders for all of Gaza City as its forces prepared to capture the northern Gaza strip. But the church officials and Christians sheltering in their buildings have
refused to leave their homeland, one of the birthplaces of Christianity, saying that the "forced displacement would mean nothing less than a death sentence."
As supply routes for aid are cut off, Gaza residents—including the estimated 500 individuals still sheltering in the church compounds—are struggling with extreme shortages of food, water, medicine and electricity. They're also battling constant feelings
of fear, uncertainty and hopelessness. Reports of airstrikes on Gaza City were widespread.
These believers depend on the help they get from the church officials and several organizations, like the Open Doors ministry partner who helps the sheltering churches buy food, drinking water, fuel, and winter clothes.
Pray urgently with these little ones
Please pray urgent prayers for the church in Israel and Palestine: that Christians will remain safe, rooted in their faith, and a living testimony of Christ's peace. The Palestinian church is on the cusp of extinction, and the witness
of Christ in the Holy Land is at stake. Pray that the Lord will use this heartbreaking situation to drive both sides of the conflict toward restoration and forgiveness rather than continued destruction and anger.
Pray for the children in Gaza City who desire normal lives, including the opportunity to attend school and be students. Pray for the staff of Open Doors' partner organization, that they will be able to continue to be a
blessing for the people around them and to invest in the church in Gaza and the West Bank.
Remember that followers of Jesus live and seek to survive on all sides of this conflict. Open Doors seeks to support persecuted Christians wherever believers need help. Ask God to protect and provide.
(The children were filmed with permission from their parents)
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