In spite of “constant danger” from coordinated attacks by the Israeli Defense Forces, Christians sheltered in Gaza churches suffered no injuries in recent days, the former pastor of Gaza Baptist Church reported.
Hanna Massad, founding president of Christian Mission to Gaza, sent an “urgent prayer request” email to supporters of his ministry on July 7.
In a July 11 follow-up email, he said God answered the “fervent prayers” of Christians for the safety of believers in Gaza.
“The last two days have been extremely difficult for the Christian community in Gaza. They have been facing life-threatening situations in many forms, and their lives have been in constant danger. Fear, anxiety and worries have been overwhelming,” Massad wrote.
“However, we praise the Lord for answering your prayers. The night when you began praying for the Christians was particularly harrowing, but by God’s grace, there were no injuries.”
Still, he pointed to difficult conditions for those who are sheltering in church buildings.
“The people have been taking refuge inside the churches and often have to stay in their rooms due to the danger and nearby conflicts. They are relying on whatever food is available in the church and what they have stored in their rooms,” Massad wrote.
“The wider civilian community in Gaza is also enduring tough times, with many having to evacuate from one place to another in search of safety. Sadly, there is no truly safe place in Gaza for civilians at the moment.”
On July 10, the IDF ordered the evacuation of Gaza City, calling it a “dangerous combat zone.” The Israeli military dropped leaflets over Gaza City, urging civilians to take designated routes south.
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However, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted the Israeli-designated “safe zones” are extremely overcrowded, and the evacuation directive will “only fuel mass suffering for Palestinian families.”
Christian Mission to Gaza noted it has launched several new initiatives to provide aid to civilians in Gaza. It provided 1,000 meals to civilians in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, 500 meals in Jabalia in northern Gaza and 700 meals in Gaza City’s Remal neighborhood.
“We have also continued our water project in the middle region to provide clean drinking water for desperate civilians,” Massad wrote. “The project is critical in ensuring that people have access to safe and clean water during these challenging times.”
The same day Massad sent his email, the Baptist World Alliance General Council meeting in Nigeria unanimously approved a resolution urging “an immediate ceasefire in Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Yemen, … the immediate return of all hostages (as well as the bodies of dead hostages) by Hamas,” and coordinated humanitarian efforts to prevent further deaths.
“With the significant damage to Gaza Baptist Church, we commit to support the rebuilding of a long-term Baptist presence in Gaza and the preservation of Christian community and witness throughout the Middle East,” the resolution stated.
EDITOR’S NOTE: In a subsequent July 14 email, Christian Mission to Gaza reported the situation in Gaza “has significantly deteriorated” and conditions outside the Baptist church in Gaza City were “catastrophic,” with extensive damage to the surrounding area and limited access to resources for those sheltered in the facility. “Within the church, the situation is dire,” Hanna Massad wrote. “The community is only able to provide one meal every 48 hours due to the scarcity of food.”
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