Middle East News

1. Iran reviewing U.S. proposal as Trump pressures Tehran for agreement on deal to end war

PBS News

"Iran said it was reviewing the latest American proposals to end the war after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the country with a new wave of bombing unless a deal is reached that includes reopening the crucial Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. Hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets Thursday, a day after the U.S. military fired on an Iranian oil tanker attempting to breach the American blockade of Iran's ports. The developments followed days of mixed messages from the Trump administration over its strategy to end the war".

2. Iran can last for months under US Strait of Hormuz blockade, US officials say - report

Jerusalem Post

"Iran can economically survive the US naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz for at least three to four more months, four people familiar with a confidential CIA analysis told The Washington Post on Thursday. “The leadership has gotten more radical, determined, and increasingly confident they can outlast US political will and sustain domestic repression to check any resistance,” one US official told the Post. “Comparatively, you see similar regimes lasting years under sustained embargoes and airpower-only wars.”

3. Israel strikes Beruit for the first since the ceasefire

Reuters

"Israel struck Beirut on Wednesday for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire ​with Hezbollah last month, with Israel saying it targeted a commander of the militant group's elite Radwan force in the city's ‌southern suburbs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the action in a joint statement".

4. Israeli airstrikes kill 7 in southern Lebanon as Catholic convent is bulldozed

AP News

5. The Christian villages on the front line of Israel's war on Lebanon

The Independent

"On Easter Sunday, an Israeli attack on a residential building in the predominantly Christian town of Ain Saadeh, east of Beirut, resulted in the death of Pierre Mouawad, an official in the Lebanese Forces party and an outspoken critic of Hezbollah, along with his wife, Flavia. The Israeli military says it was targeting Hezbollah militants. Last month, the Israeli army targeted Father Pierre al-Rai, the parish priest of Saint George’s Church in Qlayaa – a Maronite town neighbouring Marjayoun – firing an artillery shell in his direction".

6. Iran conducting near-daily prisoner executions in secrecy, say rights grous

The Guardian

"Iran is carrying out near-daily executions of prisoners in secrecy and, in some cases, refusing to hand the bodies of the dead to their families, according to rights groups and sources close to the relatives of the dead. Many families only learn of executions after they have been carried out, with some facing harassment and pressure not to speak publicly on the personal impact of the state killings, the sources say".

7. Israeli army chief says West Bank troops ‘killing like we haven’t killed since 1967’

"Leaked remarks by Maj Gen Avi Bluth describe fatal shootings of stone-throwers and different treatment for Jewish settlers. The Israeli army chief in the West Bankhas said his troops were “killing like we haven’t killed since 1967”, including fatally shooting Palestinian stone-throwers, according to an Israeli report of his comments. The remarks by Maj Gen Avi Bluth, head of the army’s central command, were made in a recent closed forum but were leaked to Israel's Haaretz newspaper. Bluth has so far not denied the authenticity of the Haaretz account. The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to a request for comment".

8. Fears of renewed Gaza war as Hamas disarmament talks stall

BBC News

"Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled, and Gaza risks sliding back into war. This week an Israeli air strike killed the son of Hamas's leader and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, and Palestinian sources confirmed to the BBC that the two sides had reached a deadlock in negotiations. Israeli media reports suggest Israel is preparing to resume fighting in the Gaza Strip because of the impasse and Hamas's refusal to give up its weapons".

CMEP Updates

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 EVENTS

Joint Christian Advocacy Summit 2026

Dear Friends,
We here at CMEP, and on behalf of all other co-sponsoring organizations, just wanted to thank you for your participation and support of the Joint Christian Advocacy Summit of May 2026. The summit was a great success with around 300 people joining us from all around the country for the 3-day program culminating in visits to US Congressional Representatives of over half of the US states. We are excited to receive all your feedback about the summit. If you participated, you will be receiving a feedback form to your email shortly. More information and reports on the summit will come out in the future. We hope and pray that your meetings were productive and that we can bring about the change in US foreign policy we want to see. Thank you again for joining us, we are excited to host you next year again!