Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news.
Middle East News
1. Iran rejects US ceasefire plan, issues its own demands as strikes land across the Mideast
AP News
"Iran on Wednesday dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East and launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, including strikes that hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire. Iran's defiance came as Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and as the United States deployed paratroopers and more Marines to the region. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview on state TV that his government has not engaged in talks to end the war, “and we do not plan on any negotiations".
2. Lebanese fear another occupation as Israel threatens to use Gaza tactics in the south
AP News
"As Israel trades fire with Hezbollah, calls for mass evacuations and sends ground troops deeper into Lebanon, its leaders have hinted at a long-term occupation modeled on the devastating conquest of much of Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Israel says it needs to establish a zone of control in the depopulated south to shield its own northern communities, which have faced daily rocket attacks since the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group joined the wider war. Many in Lebanon fear that could mean the open-ended displacement of over a million people, the flattening of their homes and a loss of territory".
3. Israel used white phosphorus to scorch earth in south Lebanon, researcher says
The Guardian
"When the M825-series 155mm artillery projectile bursts, expelling its felt wedges containing white phosphorus, it leaves a distinctive knuckle-shaped plume. That is how Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers said they were able to verify that Israel was again using the notorious weapon over south Lebanon, reigniting accusations that it is breaking the laws of war".
4. Iranian strikes pose ‘existential threat’, Gulf states tell UN
Reuters
"Gulf Arab states told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday they face an existential threat from Iranian attacks on their infrastructure, which the U.N. rights chief said might constitute war crimes. The nearly month-long U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has sparked large-scale Iranian retaliation in the form of drone and missile strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries, killing civilians and driving up oil prices".
5. 'There's no safety anymore': Palestinians warn of expanding West Bank settler violence
BBC News
"They came in big numbers. This was organised terrorism," he tells me, fighting back tears. "What's terrifying is that you're sitting in your house with your children, then suddenly you come under fire." The Palestinian bank manager says settlers shot at his home in Deir al-Hatab, near Nablus, as well as setting it alight, and that he and his children escaped only by hiding on their roof. Across the occupied West Bank, there has been a new spate of settler violence in recent days. During the rampage in Deir al-Hatab, at least 10 people were injured - mostly by thrown stones, with one man shot in the foot. This is a village that has not previously experienced such a major attack, unlike other parts of the West Bank".
6. U.N. experts demand Israel release prominent Gaza doctor after reports of 'severe torture'
NBC News
"United Nations experts are calling for Israel to immediately release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent doctor from the Gaza Strip who has been held without charge for more than a year, saying they had received reports that he's endured "severe torture." "Dr. Abu Safiya, a highly respected Palestinian medical administrator and paediatrician, has suffered an arbitrary deprivation of liberty" and "violation of his human rights, including the right of every human being to be free from torture," the experts said in a statement released this week".
7. Israeli judge closes case of Palestinian teen’s death in prison despite evidence of starvation
AP News
"An investigation into the death of a Palestinian teenager in an Israeli prison has been closed by an Israeli judge, who said even though it’s clear the boy was starved, the cause of death is undeterminable, a newly-unsealed court decision has revealed. The ruling provided insight into Israel’s handling of the flashpoint case of 17-year-old Walid Ahmad, which gained notoriety because he was the first Palestinian under 18 to die in Israeli detention, said Palestinian officials".
"Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Thursday filed three joint resolutions to block a pending sale of nearly $659 million worth of weapons — including 22,000 bombs — to Israel after the Trump administration this month told lawmakers it would use emergency measures to bypass congressional review of the sale. The sale and subsequent opposition to it come amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has spread across the Middle East and tested the abilities of countries in the region to contend with missile and drone strikes by Tehran".
9. 2028 Dem hopefuls scramble for distance from AIPAC
Politico
"Democrats eyeing White House runs in 2028 are preemptively breaking up with AIPAC. Sen. Cory Booker, who received donations bundled by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as late as December, told POLITICO that he’s sworn off the group’s funds (and other PAC money). California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he never has and "never will" take donations from the group. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) vowed last week that he “wouldn’t take AIPAC money” anymore".
May 5-7: Joint Christian Advocacy Summit 2026 Location Announced: Shiloh Baptist Church: 1500 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Join CMEP and a broad coalition of co-sponsors May 5-7, 2026 as we converge in Washington, DC for a Joint Christian Advocacy Summit for the Middle East. Centered on the theme “Do Right; Seek Justice (Is. 1:17): Christians Uniting Against Oppression in Palestine/Israel,” this gathering will equip and mobilize Christian advocates from across the country in support of U.S. policies that uphold dignity, human rights, and lasting security for all who call the region home. Attendees will learn from experts, gain advocacy skills, and have the opportunity to meet with their congressional offices to call for a just peace in the Holy Land.
March 25, 2026: P4P Three Water Stories From Palestine
With all of the challenges facing Palestinians in the West Bank, sometimes the most difficult can seem the most simple. Getting access to clean, drinkable water has become increasingly difficult as more and more is appropriated by Israeli soldiers and settlers. With such a crucial resource in such short supply, Palestinians are having their entire lives threatened.
March 26, 2026: CSA Series Part 4 "Becoming Repairers of the Breach: A Christian Call to Peace and Justice in Israel and Palestine"
In “Becoming Repairers of the Breach,” written for Christians for Social Action, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon offers a profound and urgent call to the Christian church to respond faithfully to the ongoing realities in Israel and Palestine. Grounded in Scripture and Christian ethics, the article challenges believers to hold together a commitment to justice for Palestinians with a clear rejection of antisemitism, while centering the dignity and humanity of all people in the Holy Land. Through prayer, lament, solidarity with Palestinian Christians, and concrete advocacy, Cannon invites the global church to move beyond passive concern toward active peacemaking. Thus, becoming true “repairers of the breach” in a land long marked by division and suffering.
On May 21st, 2025, House Resolution 3565 was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives, also known as the "Block the Bombs Act." The resolution calls for a limit on the sale of bombs, ammunition (including white phosphorus), and ammunition manufacturing capability. The act comes as Israel has strengthened its assault on Gaza and the West Bank, with an estimated death toll since October 7th, 2023 standing at 54,000 Palestinian men, women, and children. Congress needs to pressure the Trump Administration to protect Palestinian civilians through the passage of HRes. 3565. Your voice can push your representative to support this vital resolution and limit offensive weapon capabilities of Israel, protecting Gazan civilians from relentless bombs. Contact your representative and urge them to support the initiative.
This is Action Alert is still on going and currently has gathered support from 61 Co-Sponsors!
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 and ask questions at the end. Every Thursday from 10:30-11:15 am Eastern.
Support CMEP’s Work for Peace If you value the programs and advocacy efforts highlighted in the bulletin, we invite you to partner with us. Your generosity makes it possible for CMEP to continue hosting events, leading education initiatives, and amplifying voices for justice and peace in the Middle East. If you would like to support CMEP in expanding this important work, please consider making a donation today. Thank you for standing with us.
CMEP Presents a Lenten of Lament and Hope dedicated to Palestinian Children
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is pleased to offer this 2026 Lenten Devotional series as a sacred companion for the journey from Ash Wednesday through Holy Week. Available as a downloadable PDF for a suggested donation, this collection is designed for individual reflection or use within church communities.
This Lent, we are invited to slow down, to listen, and to open our hearts. Each devotion is centered on a piece of artwork created by Palestinian children living in the Holy Land. These images speak with honesty, longing, and hope. The works of art are paired with prayerful reflections written by CMEP, guiding us to contemplate suffering and resilience, lament and love, repentance and renewal.
As we walk the way of the cross, these devotions call us into deeper solidarity, inviting us to see the Holy Land through the eyes of its children and to encounter Christ anew in places of pain and perseverance. May this Lenten journey draw us closer to God, to one another, and to the work of justice, peace, and compassion in the world.
April 1, 2026: 'A Time for Peace' Interfaith Prayer Vigil
Join original signatories, including CMEP executive director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, His Eminence, the Most reverend Saba Isper, His Excellency Archbishop Dr. Vicken Aykazian, Bishop Mariann Budde, and more supporters of the A Time for Peace statement on April 1st at noon ET to pray for peace and justice across the Middle East. As the statement proclaims, now is the time for religious leaders everywhere to take meaningful, constructive steps toward lasting peace and to extinguish the flames of enmity and hatred. Learn more and register.
April 03, 2026: Freedom of Movement and Checkpoints in the Occupied West Bank with Dalia Qumsieh
Join CMEP for a webinar on April 3rd at 11 AM EST examining the issue of freedom of movement and checkpoints in the Occupied West Bank; an urgent and often overlooked reality shaping daily life for Palestinians. We are honored to be joined by Dalia Qumsieh, human rights lawyer and Founder and Director of the Balasan Initiative for Human Rights. Together, we will explore how Israeli checkpoints and movement restrictions sever Palestinian livelihoods, cutting off access to healthcare, education, work, and family life, and isolating entire communities into fragmented enclaves.
April 20, 2026: Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle-Families Forum Joint Memorial Day Ceremony
Churches for Middle East Peace is proud to co-sponsor the Joint Memorial Day Ceremony of the Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle-Families Forum. Seeking to transform sorrow into collective resolve, this event has brought together Israelis and Palestinians for more than two decades. Even after two and a half years of continued suffering and violence, this year's ceremony will demonstrate that even in times of strife, solidarity is not only possible, but imperative.
