The 1,000 or so Christians who have lived in the Gaza Strip in recent years continue to urgently need the prayers, compassion, and support of the global Church.
They are still embattled, impoverished, and facing danger.
That said, I can report that the situation has somewhat improved from just a few months ago.
WHAT WAS THE DIRE SITUATION FACING PALESTINIAN CHRISTIANS IN GAZA LAST FALL AND MUCH OF THIS YEAR?
Let me first provide some context.
Readers of ALL ARAB NEWS – and our sister site, ALL ISRAEL NEWS – will recall that soon after the October 7th war began last Fall, we began reporting on the grave danger these Christians were in.
On November 17th, we reported that nearly all Christians in Gaza were sheltering in two historic church buildings in Gaza City – one run by the Roman Catholics, and the other run by the Greek Orthodox – as well as in a cluster of private homes near those two buildings.
We reported that if they are forced out of the historic church buildings – the safe havens in which they are currently sheltering in and around Gaza City – and are sent to the south, [they believe they could be harmed or killed].
“There are no safe havens for Christians in southern Gaza. As followers of the crucified and risen Christ – Jesus of Nazareth – they are considered pagans, and heathens, and idol-worshippers by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and all violent Islamist extremists. The Christians know the ancient and very recent history of this region. Therefore, they know that they can expect no mercy from Hamas and the others in the south.”
We implored the Israeli government and military (IDF) to protect all the Palestinian Christians in Gaza.
We also implored the IDF to permit Palestinian Christians to leave Gaza if they so desired.
We also implored you and Christians all over the world to be praying for God to protect, provide for, and guide to safety the Christian community in Gaza.
On December 7th, ALL ARAB NEWS reported that the thousand or so Palestinian Christians in Gaza were facing a “desperate, dire threat” – their supplies of food and water and medical supplies were running out and they urgently needed to be resupplied.
We implored the Israeli government to allow Christian and other NGOs to be able to get urgently needed aid to our brothers and sisters.
On December 10th, ALL ARAB NEWS reported that “time is running out” for the Christians in Gaza and that Israel and the international community needed to work faster and harder to save their lives, even amidst “looting, snipers, and intense street battles between Hamas and the IDF” in the neighborhood around those two historic churches.
On December 11th, ALL ARAB NEWS reported that some Palestinian Christians had been killed amidst the raging street battles around those churches.
Since then, we have continued to report on the situation facing Palestinian Christians in Gaza and the West Bank.
But here is an important update.
WHAT IS THE LATEST NEWS ON THE PALESTINIAN CHRISTIANS OF GAZA?
Arab Christian sources in the region have shared some good news with me and are allowing me to report it to you.
First, by God’s grace – and the prayers of many Christians here in the region and around the world – approximately 500 of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Evangelical Christians living in the Gaza Strip have been able to get out of Gaza over the past ten months.
They have been able to receive visas to foreign countries and to safely depart Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt in 2024.
These Christians are now living safely in various countries in Europe, Asia, and North America. Others are living, for the time being at least, in Egypt or other Arab countries in the region.
That means there are only about 500 to 600 Catholic, Orthodox, and Evangelical Palestinians Christians remaining in Gaza.
I’m told that many more would like to leave.
However, some don’t have visas to legally go to other countries.
And even those that do have visas cannot leave at the moment because the Rafah crossing has been closed by the Egyptian government and there are no places for them to exit into Israel.
Please pray that the Lord will open Rafah soon and/or move Israel to allow these Christians to transit to other countries via Israel.
Second, by God’s grace, the Palestinian Christians who are continuing to shelter in those two historic churches are currently safe. They are not in immediate danger of Hamas attacks or IDF bombing and they are currently receiving adequate provisions of food, clean water, and medical supplies.
Their lives are still a struggle.
I don’t want you to think I am painting a rosy picture.
I’m simply reporting what I’m being told, that our Christian brothers and sisters are not currently in a “grave” or “desperate” or “dire” situation. God is providing for them through a range of non-governmental organizations, both Christian and non-Christian.
Let’s thank the Lord for this.
Third, the Lord is drawing Muslims in Gaza to faith in the crucified and risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Multiple sources have told me in recent weeks that they now believe there are about 200 “Muslim Background Believers” in Gaza, Muslims who have converted to faith in Christ.
This is very encouraging.
I cannot report more right now, but please be praying that these new Christians will be discipled and that they will grow in the Word and learn to walk in a healthy and mature way in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Please also pray that they will be “joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12).
God loves all the people who live in the Gaza Strip.
We, as Christians, must love them, too.
ALL ARAB NEWS and ALL ISRAEL NEWS will continue to report the latest facts to keep you informed.
The Joshua Fund will continue to work to pray for, support, and encourage the Christians in Gaza, and to reach the rest of Gaza with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If you are able and willing, please pray for us – and financially support these two important ministries – so we can care for our Palestinian brothers and sisters and help them be a bright light in this darkest of hours.
