“We’re constantly feeling unsafe,” says a young Christian man in Gaza. He prefers to stay anonymous—but he’s one of the 260 Christians who has found shelter at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza City, the largest city in the two territories of Palestine. These believers have sought safety at the church since the war between Hamas—the group that governs Gaza, and regarded as a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union—and Israel began last October.
“Every day [brings] the risk of being harmed due to the war, that is one of the most difficult things,” the young believer continues.
What goes for the Christians in Gaza obviously goes for every citizen living there. And yet, we must not forget our sisters and brothers living in Gaza amidst the war. Gaza is home to various groups who espouse Islamic extremism—and oppose especially any converts from Islam. The Christians are small in number, but do their best to live peacefully with everyone around them.
Of the 1,070 Christians who were living in Gaza when the war started, only some 600 are still trying to survive there. They found shelter in the Greek Orthodox church, like this young man, or in the Catholic church. The Christians now depend on the help they get from the church officials and several organizations, like the Open Doors ministry partner who sends money for food, water, fuel and winter clothes.
When people still were able to move south in the Gaza Strip, hundreds of Christians managed to leave and cross the border with Egypt. “Since Israel separated the Gaza Strip in pieces, people from the north cannot travel to the south anymore, or the other way around,” says Chris*, the manager of Open Doors’ ministry partner that works among Palestinian Christians.
Chris is worried about the long-term impact on the Christian community in Palestine. “This war is a disaster for all Christians in the region,” he says. “This war will make the church disappear from Gaza. But not only from there, since the war started hundreds of Christian families from the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon moved to Canada, the United States or Australia.”
The work Open Doors does through this local partner among the Palestinian Christians was affected by the war, but by God’s grace, most activities took place as scheduled. “Of course, due to the situation you’re never sure if for example a training of several days can take place as planned,” Chris says. “Will people be able to go to the training location, will the teachers be able to go there, especially those from abroad?”
“None of us functions for 100%, that is impossible.”
Chris*, Open Doors partner
He is very thankful that many activities have taken place and hopes that the work they’re doing can eventually be carried out in Gaza. “We just finished a training of a group of 20 women,” he says. “We also continue to prepare about 50 Christians in our trauma and spiritual care project. As soon as the situation in Gaza is safe and we get allowance to go there, [some] of these trained people will start offering trauma and spiritual support to children and women.”
Staff members of Open Doors’ local ministry partner organization pay a price for working in the chaos of war time. “None of us functions for 100%, that is impossible,” Chris explains. “We do need your prayers. We’re under constant pressure because of the war and because of the need of the people around us.”
Devastation—and how you can pray
The lack of safety in Gaza is only the start of the difficulties faced by believers there. Our young brother in Gaza shares another issue: “The scarcity of food and water due to their lack in the market and high prices when available,” he says.
The young man also says there is a medicine shortage. He says the shortage is “especially for the elderly and sick, as these medicines are not available in the area and are difficult to obtain.”
There is also the issue of electricity. “That is only provided for a few hours a day by running a generator, which is used to pump water and charge mobile phones for a few hours,” he says.
Outside the church compound, the scene is one of devastation. “The situation is extremely difficult,” the young believer shares. “There is widespread destruction everywhere in the city. Roads and utility networks for electricity, water and communications have been destroyed. The shops, malls and markets are almost completely flattened. The old and historical houses that tell the story of the city have been destroyed.”
The Christians who are sheltering in the Greek Orthodox church try to maintain a daily routine as much as they possibly can, even though they can’t go to work or school. “After our morning coffee, we go to church for the morning prayer,” says the Palestinian believer. “We then clean our rooms and sleeping mats, followed by breakfast. The rest of the day we talk together, spend time with each other and try to follow the news on radio and social media, when internet is available.”
Their faith helps the Gazan Christians to keep going. Sometimes they see the protection of the Lord. “One of the Bible verses that helps me is ‘The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” [Psalm 23],” shares the young man. “Personally, I saw His protection when I left the church building just before it was hit by a bomb.”
We shouldn’t underestimate the importance of prayer with the Christians in Gaza. “We always pray for an end to this war, for the return of peace to the land and that our children, loved ones and friends remain unharmed,” the believer shares. “Please pray that peace will return to the land, that an end will come to the bloodshed. Pray also that the city will be restored and life will return.”
Please pray with your family in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank, Lebanon and other regions impacted by this war:
- Pray for lasting peace and justice in the Holy Land.
- Pray for Christians caught in the middle of Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Ask that God would bring peace in Lebanon and strengthen Christians to be salt and light—and peacemakers.
- Pray for an end to the war. Pray for the people who lost loved ones, pray for the injured.
- Pray for the families who are still missing family members as they might be stuck under the ruins of buildings.
- Pray that the Lord will protect his children and that He will continue to send the people the basics they need.
- 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.
* Name changed to protect identity
Top photo: By Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=138775615
