Total death toll exceeds 600 since Dec. 27 as Hamas rockets and IDF "Cast Lead" operations continue.
Update: Wed, Jan. 7, noon, Chicago time.
Christianity Today news staff has received reliable reports that three Gazan Christians have been killed inside Gaza since Israel began a new military offensive starting Dec. 27.
Sources report the three Christians are:
Christine Turok, 14. Click here for a full account of her death.
Jiryis Al-Amash, approx. 40 years. Further details unavailable at this time.
Naseem Saba, age unknown. Saba is the first Christian reportedly killed directly due to Israeli military action. His famly recovered his body at Shifa hospital in Gaza City, according to a Wednesday morning report.
Meanwhile, Christian leaders worldwide have been monitoring the situation inside Gaza, especially the Gaza Baptist church building, a six-story structure. According to a report from Open Doors:
"Everybody suffers, but I feel especially bad for the children who are going through a very tough time," is what one Christian church leader shares with Open Doors about the chaotic situation in Gaza.He says: "The children wake up several times in the middle of the night; crying or even screaming from fear and memories that come back to their minds. Right in front of our home you can see the repair work done to the street where a rocket came down in a previous clash. Many children are traumatized because of previous situations in Gaza. They have seen bodies lying on the streets that used to be their playground. Now it is all happening again."
The church leader adds: "The sound of bombings is terrifying. I sometimes call it ?the big voice' because it is ongoing. You always hear it and you never know what building will be hit next."
In an Email Suhad Massad, wife of pastor Hanna Massad and leader of the Palestinian Bible Society's ministry in Gaza, wrote: "The church building (Gaza Baptist) was damaged when the police station opposite of the church was bombed. In the attack 40 people were killed instantly, but to the church only damage was done. The windows of the library fell down, but no members of the church were hurt."
The lower floors of the six-story church building were damaged by the blast. The church leader adds: "Fortunately, no member of the church was hurt because everybody stays at home. Hardly anyone has the courage to leave their houses; they dare not to go anywhere."
An estimated 2,500 Christians remain in Gaza. Last month many families tried to leave Gaza to visit family or friends in the West Bank to celebrate Christmas and find a safe place, but according to Suhad Massad: "Only permits were given to the elderly. Many people ages 18 to 35 were not allowed to leave Gaza. So several families are separated now, which is very difficult for them. Pauline Ayyad (widow of Rami Ayyad, manager of the Bible store in Gaza who was killed October 7, 2007) and her children were able to leave Gaza December 27, and are in the West Bank at the moment."
The church leader notes: "Those in Gaza sometimes have no idea what is going on. Very often the power is down so they have no radio, television or Internet. People call their friends and family outside Gaza to stay updated about the situation in their own city."
Open Doors USA President/CEO Carl Moeller says: "Open Doors is calling on Christians in the West to pray for Christians in Gaza in the wake of the bombings and ground surge. Pray that the war between Israel and Palestine is shorter and less devastating than what military and political speculators around the world are predicting. Pray that Christian families will be reunited. Pray that the Gaza Baptist Church building will be spared more damage from the assault. Pray for all the victims of the violence in Gaza and Israel."
Staff from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews are in southern Israel. Their last report was from Sunday, Jan. 4. They shared:
After leaving Jerusalem, we decide to head to Sderot after hearing that there has already been a Code Red warning this morning. When we reach the city we are met by Tal Mahai, head of Sderot Mayor David Buskila's office. Tal tells us that a rocket from Gaza has directly hit a home in the city that we will visit. As we travel to the house, Tal tells us that the people of Sderot are not running away. The municipality is doing everything it can so that the city can continue to function normally during abnormal times.
Click here for the full account.
Posted by Tim Morgan on January 7, 2009 10:50AM
Comments
Thanks for passing on the information. Here is where you can find some recent comments from the pastor of the Gaza Baptist Church as well as an Israeli Baptist leader: http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=11533
Posted by: kaylor at January 7, 2009
We regularly hear news reports about Palestinian women and children killed in Israeli air strikes as she retaliates for attacks on its civilian populations. Israel is often condemned by the media for their 'disproportionate response.’ I was privileged to sit in on a security briefing about Israel's defense policies and practices. What I learned was shocking and is never reported by the media. Hamas and other terrorist groups use their own civilian population in their fight against Israel.
Terrorist tactics go way beyond using women as human shields. When planning an attack against Israel, Hamas will round up children, the elderly and even pregnant women and herd them to the area from which they intend to launch their attack. Once these helpless people are rounded up and taken to the place from which Hamas will launch its rockets into Israel, they are forced to surround the missile launchers and remain in place until Hamas allows them to leave. If the people refuse to cooperate, they are killed on the spot or revenge is taken out on their families.
Why is Hamas using helpless civilians to serve as human shields for their missile launchers? This is the most insidious part of Hamas' plan. You see, Israel possesses the capability to pin point the exact location from which Hamas launches its rockets. If Israel elects to fire back, who are they going to kill but the innocent children, elderly and pregnant women Hamas has placed around their missile launchers? This is often the reason the media paints Israel as the "bad guys."
Frequently we hear reports of an Israeli air strike killing women and children in the process of targeting some known group of terrorists or terrorist leader. What the liberal media never mentions is that these innocent people were being held hostage by Hamas to surround their missile launchers, in essence, daring Israel to retaliate.
If Arafat left no other lesson behind for the Palestinian people, he taught them how to effectively manipulate the press and Hamas has learned this lesson well. They know that if Israel strikes back killing women and children it will give the media a hay day creating another black eye for Israel. In addition, Hamas often uses public locations to store weapons and civilian housing complexes as terrorist bases of operation. When such places come to the attention of the IDF, in consideration for the civilians living in and around these Hamas strongholds, Israel will often telephone an advance warning that they intend to strike.
In all my days I have never heard of any army warning its enemy of the date and approximate time it intends to launch an attack. Israel's intention is to save innocent lives, and Hamas uses this to their advantage thus giving them time to relocate their weapons and their fighters.
Posted by: Xavier Gomez at January 9, 2009
Everyone, please pray for the children here. They don't need any money or stuff they need prayer and comfort and love..........
Posted by: Rachel at January 11, 2009
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