ISRAEL – GAZA: War - lives lost, hope fading
In the Shadows of the Israel - Gaza War: Lives Lost, Hope Fading
A fresh wave of airstrikes has left Gaza reeling, with the latest blow landing on a shelter in Jabalia — a former UN clinic now crowded with hundreds of displaced people seeking refuge. Nineteen lives were lost, including nine children. Among them, heartbreakingly, a two-week-old baby.
The building had already been damaged earlier in the war, yet more than 700 people were still sheltering there. “They had nowhere else to go,” said Philippe Lazzarini of UNRWA, echoing the desperation of thousands who are simply trying to survive. Across Gaza, families are mourning. Entire homes have been flattened in Khan Younis, Rafah, and Gaza City. First responders report pulling the bodies of women, infants, and elderly from rubble. With aid blockaded and medical centres overwhelmed, each new strike brings another layer of grief — another reminder of the growing humanitarian abyss.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new military corridor, saying operations had “switched gears.” This strategy, described as increasing pressure on Hamas by seizing territory and dividing the Gaza Strip, aims to force the release of 59 remaining hostages. But for civilians, it has meant intensified bombardment, more displacement, and the erosion of any semblance of safety.
More than 140,000 people have been ordered to evacuate Rafah in recent days — a place many had already fled to, only to be uprooted again. Behind every policy shift, behind each new military objective, are families. Children who no longer sleep. Mothers clinging to memories. A population shrinking under the weight of war.
Even in the heart of sorrow, voices are rising — some calling for ceasefires, others for humanitarian corridors, and all for life over politics. As the Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged, “There is an obligation to pursue every possible channel for the release of hostages.” But there is also an obligation — moral, ancient, unshakable — to preserve the dignity and life of all human beings caught in this terrible storm.
Prayer Pointers
- Pray: for Protection of the Innocent. Ask God to shield civilians—especially children and the displaced—from violence and fear. Pray that homes, hospitals, and shelters would be spared and preserved. “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men." Psalm 140:1
- Pray: for Just and Compassionate Leadership
Intercede for leaders on all sides to reject political gain and prioritize peace. Pray for wise, humble decisions that honour human dignity. "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute." Psalm 82
- Pray: for Peace and Hostage Release
Pray for the swift and safe release of hostages. Ask the Lord to move hearts toward negotiation and ceasefire, breaking cycles of revenge. "He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives…" Isaiah 61:1
Prayer – Praying for human life amidst the war
Lord, we cry out for the people of Gaza and Israel. Still the hands of violence. Shelter the innocent. Stir courage in leaders to seek peace, not power. Restore justice and dignity where it has been trampled. May mercy prevail over vengeance. Amen.
