 |  | June 14th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. | | | |  | Image: Pope Francis during his appearance at his studiio's window overlooking St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Sunday, June 9, 2024
(AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis) | | | Pope Francis appeals for urgent humanitarian aid for Gaza and backs cease-fire proposals AP News “Pope Francis called Sunday (June 9) for humanitarian aid to urgently reach Palestinians in Gaza and for Israel and Hamas to immediately accept proposals for a cease-fire and release of hostages… ‘I encourage the international community to act urgently, with all means, to come to the aid of the people of Gaza, worn out by the war,’ he said. ‘Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach those in need, and no one can impede it.’” | | | | | | | | | | | |  | Image: Palestinians inspect the damage and debris a day after an operation by Israeli special forces in the Nuseirat camp, in the central Gaza Strip, on June 9, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images) | | | Inside Israel’s deadly operation to rescue four hostages CNN “Three days after an Israeli military operation rescued four hostages being held by Hamas in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, killing more than 270 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, new details are still emerging about what was one of the most dramatic and deadly events since the war started.” | | | | | | | |  | Join a group of Churches for Middle East Peace's Regional Coordinators as they venture to Israel/Palestine in November 2024. This trip will highlight the spiritual significance of the Holy Land, the role local Christians play in the landscape of the region, meetings with religious and non-profit leaders in the region, and in-depth analysis and engagement with the current realities on the ground. This trip also includes attending CMEP's And Still We Rise Summit in Jericho. Join us this November 9-18th, 2024. Registration Extended! For more information or questions about this trip, please email ana@cmep.org. | | | | |  | Cross and Crescent: How Can Evangelicals and Muslims Connect During this Crisis in the Middle East? June 27, 2 - 3:15 EST Given the conflation of Muslims and the Middle East in the American imagination, times of crisis in the Middle East further complicate relations. This webinar features a discussion between an American Evangelical, a Palestinian Evangelical, and a Lebanese-American Muslim, reflecting together on the challenges and opportunities for inter-religious cooperation in pursuit of understanding and peace. | | | | |  | "An Ecumenical Service of Prayer for the Holy Land" On Saturday, June 8th, Churches for Middle East Peace co-sponsored an ecumenical service of Prayer for the Holy Land at the Church of the Ascension in New York City alongside the New York State Council of Churches and Friends of Sabeel North America. The service featured keynote remarks from Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, who spoke boldly about the need for Christians to speak out in solidarity with the Palestinian people and lead with prayerful action. | | | | | | | | | |  | Image: Smoke and fire covers an area near Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel after a Hezbollah attack earlier this month (Ayal Margolin/Reuters) | | | Hezbollah fires 200 rockets at Israel after senior commander killed Al Jazeera “Hezbollah has launched one of its largest rocket barrages at northern Israel since the start of the war on Gaza. The launch of more than 200 projectiles on Wednesday (June 13) morning came in response to the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in southeastern Lebanon in a strike the previous evening. The attacks raise concern that the military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah is escalating, with both saying they are prepared for war." | | | | | | | |  | Image: Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel's three-member War Cabinet, announces his resignation in Ramat Gan on Sunday. (Amir Levy/Getty Images) | | | Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz quits war Cabinet NBC News “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's key rival, Benny Gantz, announced Sunday that he is quitting the war Cabinet after a postwar plan for the Palestinian enclave failed to materialize…. Gantz announced his resignation in a televised event on Sunday, stating that Netanyahu stood in Israel's way to ‘a real victory.’” | | | | | | | | | | Contact Us Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 505
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
(202) 543-1222 info@cmep.org | | | | | | | |
