January 10th News Bulletin

A body is transferred for burial Friday at the Nasser Hospital after an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.Abed Rahim Khatib / Anadolu via Getty Images.

Gaza death toll may be 41% higher than official figures, study finds

NBC News

"The number of people killed in Gaza during Israel's deadly offensive in the Palestinian enclave is significantly higher than the figures reported by local health authorities, researchers at a leading health university in Britain have found. In a peer-reviewed study published Thursday in The Lancet journal, researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said they estimated that as many as 64,260 people were killed in "traumatic injury deaths" in Gaza between Oct. 7, 2023 and June 30, 2024."

Relatives and Palestinian officials said the cousins were targeted as they sat in front of a house in Tammun.

Israeli drone strike in West Bank kills two children, Palestinians say

BBC

“Two children were among three Palestinians from the same extended family killed in an Israeli drone strike in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, Palestinian officials say. The governor of Tubas said the strike in the town of Tammun killed Adam Besharat, 23, and his cousins Hamza Besharat, 10, and Reda Besharat, eight. The Israeli military initially said it had "struck a terrorist cell" in Tammun. It later said the incident was "under review" due to "various reports regarding the results of the strike".The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry condemned the strike as "heinous crime".

Israeli soldiers, police officers and rescue teams inspect the scene following a shooting on January 6, 2025, in the Palestinian village of Al-Funduq, in the occupied West Bank. Amir Levy/Getty Images.

Violence surges in West Bank as three Israelis killed and reprisals reported

Peoples Dispatch

“Multiple Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians have been reported in parts of the occupied West Bank after gunmen killed three Israelis and injured eight others earlier on Monday in the latest explosion of violence there. While tensions have been rising in the West Bank for years, the October 7 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza has ushered in a volatile new chapter in the occupied territory. Attacks on Palestinian communities by Israeli settlers, emboldened by their country’s offensive in Gaza and support from Israel’s right-wing government, have increased – while there have also been attacks against the settlers.”

Youssef Ziyadne (photo credit: Hostages Families Forum)

Body of hostage Youssef Ziyadne found in Gaza

The Jerusalem Post

“Israeli security forces have discovered the body of hostage Youssef al-Ziyadne, 53, in the Gaza Strip, his family was told on Wednesday. The IDF confirmed that the remains of Ziyadne were found in a tunnel in Rafah, adding that there were also other “findings relating to Youssef’s son (Hamza).” IDF spokesperson Lt.-Col. Nadav Shoshani said Youssef’s death did not appear to have been recent.”

This year, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and author and ethicist Andrew DeCort, PhD, for a series of prayerful reflections on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). From January 18-25th, Andrew will be joined each day at 12:00 EST by a different renowned guest to reflect on one of the beatitudes and pray for a just peace for the Middle East.

Speakers will include:

January 18th: Sister Susan Nchibiri, Maryknoll Office of Global Concern

January 19th: Shireen Awwad Hilal, Bethlehem Bible College

January 20th: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, Christmas Lutheran Church (Bethlehem, Palestine) & the ELCJHL

January 22nd: Rev. Dr. Nathaniel A. W. Adishian, Armenian-American priest, scholar, and speaker

January 23rd: Tony Amoury Alhoury, Syrian-born Christian theologian and educator

January 24th: Abouna Imad Haddad, Good Shepherd Church (Amman, Jordan) and ELCJHL

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed each year as an opportunity to explore Christians' shared heritage and to enter more deeply into the faith that unites all us all. This year's overarching global theme, "Do You Believe?" (John 11:26) offers a way to see that faith is not just a static set of beliefs, but an active means of receiving grace.

As the World Council of Churches explains, 2025 also marks the 1700th anniversary of the first Christian Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea, near Constantinople in 325 AD. This commemoration provides a unique opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the common faith of Christians, as expressed in the creed formulated during this council.

CMEP Wednesday Prayers for Peace

Churches for Middle East Peace invites you to pray for peace in light of recent events in Gaza, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories. Every Wednesday, 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Eastern via Zoom.

 Live Thursday News Briefings

Please join us on Zoom for a weekly briefing on current news regarding the Hamas and Israel War. Hear from CMEP Staff and other experts. Every Thursday 10:00 am - 10:30 am Eastern. 

2025 Advocacy Summit

SAVE THE DATE to join Churches for Middle East Peace in Washington, DC for our annual advocacy summit on March 19-20, 2025. 

More information and registration will be available in the coming weeks. 

People celebrate after Lebanon's army chief Joseph Aoun was elected as Lebanon's president, in the town of Klayaa, southern Lebanon January 9, 2025 [Karamallah Daher/Reuters]

Who is Joseph Aoun, the new president of Lebanon?

Al- Jazeera

“Lebanese Army commander Joseph Aoun is the new president of Lebanon. The 61-year-old becomes Lebanon’s 14th president, having filled a presidential vacuum of more than two years left by his predecessor, Michel Aoun – who is not related to the new president. Joseph Aoun’s appointment overcomes a major impasse; Lebanon’s parliament had met on 12 prior occasions to vote for a president but failed to elect one. Aoun’s support in parliament came from a wide spectrum of political figures, and he eventually won 99 votes from the 128-seat parliament in the second round of voting. But who is Joseph Aoun? And why did it take so long for the Lebanese parliament to agree that he was the right person to lead the country?”

Students sit in a Damascus classroom in December after schools were reopened following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters.

Changes to Syria’s school curriculum spark online outrage

CNN

“Syria’s new government is facing backlash after announcing changes to the school curriculum, including introducing what some critics say is an Islamist slant to teaching. The changes, published in a list of amendments on the education ministry’s official Facebook page, include changing the phrases “path of goodness” to “Islamic path,” and “those who have are damned and have gone astray” to “Jews and Christians” – which pertains to an ultra-conservative interpretation of a verse in Islam’s holy book, the Quran. The modifications also redefine the word “martyr,” from someone who died for the homeland to someone who sacrificed themselves “for the sake of God.”

Shadi Al-Waisi was an Islamic judge in rebel-held areas of Syria before becoming justice minister [Getty]

New Syrian justice minister 'oversaw execution of women for prostitution' in 2015

BBC

“Footage has appeared online purportedly showing the justice minister in the new Syrian government, Shadi Al-Waisi, overseeing the execution of two women in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province in 2015. In one video, shared on Telegram and other platforms, a woman in the town of Maaret Misreen in Idlib province is shown surrounded by fighters next to a wall covered with writing saying “Jabhat Al-Nusra”, the name of the predecessor organisation to Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group which spearheaded the rebel assault which overthrew Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad on 8 December.”

The U.S. Capitol Building.

House passes ICC sanctions bill; GOP Senate leader promises to bring it to floor

The Hill

“The House on Thursday passed legislation to sanction officials with the International Criminal Court (ICC), pushing back against the court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for their actions during Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”

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