Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news.
Middle East News
1. Israel targeted Gaza children resulting in genocide, UN inquiry says
Reuters
"Israeli authorities and security forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, and war crimes in the occupied West Bank, an independent U.N. inquiry said on Tuesday. The report by the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel examined violations against Palestinian children since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023."
2. New national security adviser said to hold urgent meeting on getting Gazans to leave
The Times of Israel
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new national security adviser, Shmuel Ben Ezra, reportedly convened an urgent meeting Tuesday on 'encouraging voluntary emigration' of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. According to the Haaretz newspaper, security officials were surprised the issue was being brought up again, and at such short notice. Mossad representatives said during the meeting that they had found no countries willing to take in Gazans, and that there were otherwise no new developments on the matter, the report said."
3. As Strip stagnates, Gazans plan first large anti-Hamas protest since ceasefire
The Times of Israel
"On June 18, several dozen people gathered outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, one of the Gaza Strip’s largest medical centers, to protest what they said was the lack of adequate treatment for the many wounded left by the war between Israel and the Hamas terror group, which rules the Strip. In videos posted online, demonstrators were heard speaking out angrily against the powers that be, complaining of corruption and apathy, while carefully avoiding direct criticism of Hamas. 'Nobody cares, not even the Health Ministry,' said one amputee."
"Oday Taneeb, 36, and his mother Mona, 62, are walking toward their family farm on the western edge of their home town of Tulkarem, a Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank. This is where the two, Palestinians living under Israel’s 59-year military occupation, have cultivated vegetables for decades, on land now surrounded by an Israeli industrial zone. A sharp smell of bleach burns their throats and nostrils as they move along a rural road cutting through the industrial area. Above them, the blue sky is streaked with white industrial emissions that leave the air acidic and the soil bleached. Over the years, pollution created by the factories has progressively reduced the fertility of the land and the family’s harvests."
5. Iran strikes vessel pausing UN efforts to evacuate ships from Hormuz
CNN
"Iran struck a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, forcing a pause on evacuations of stranded seafarers and demonstrating its continued ability to restrict the critical waterway, despite the agreement reached last week with the United States. A US official told CNN the vessel was attacked by an Iranian drone, but did not provide further details. While Iran has not claimed responsibility, Thursday’s attack came hours after its powerful revolutionary guards warned that vessels would only be given safe passage via Iranian routes, challenging the Trump administration’s claim that the strait is free and open once more."
6. Israel to stay ‘indefinitely’ in lands seized in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria
France 24
"Israel’s defence minister said Monday that Israel won’t withdraw from land seized in Lebanon, potentially challenging an interim deal that Iran and the United States reached hours earlier that includes opening the Strait of Hormuz and further extending a shaky ceasefire. Details of the deal were not immediately released and Iran signaled implementation would not start until the signing, which key mediator Pakistan said would take place Friday in Switzerland. But the memorandum of understanding over the war already faced hurdles. Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday, nearly derailed the negotiations."
7. Jerusalem Patriarchate: Silwan Land Grab Violates Church Rights and Jerusalem’s Historic Christian Presence
Jerusalem Patriarchate
"The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed grave concern over the Israeli raid and land grab targeting its Church property in Silwan on June 15, 2026. During the operation, the Patriarchate’s representative was forcibly removed, his equipment was confiscated, trees were uprooted, and the property was enclosed with fencing and gates. The Patriarchate said the incident constitutes an unlawful and illegitimate seizure of established Church property in the heart of Jerusalem."
8. Coalition of churches and charities calls for ‘urgent action’ to end occupation of Palestine
Church Times
"The Archbishop of York has joined other church leaders and charities to demand urgent action from the UK Government to end the 'illegal' occupation of Palestine by Israel. The 'Time to Act' campaign was launched on Monday. The coalition plans to lobby MPs and pressure the Government to act for a 'just peace.' Its demands include suspending UK arms sales to Israel; banning trade and investment in illegal Israeli settlements; suspending the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement until the illegal occupation is ended; imposing wide-ranging sanctions; and calling for accountability for war crimes."
June 23, 2026: Written by CMEP: How the state of Israel is failing its Palestinian citizens
In this article published in The Christian Citizen, CMEP Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow Dr. Rubin James Yi McClain examines the growing crisis of violence and instability affecting Palestinian citizens of Israel. Drawing connections between government neglect, unequal law enforcement, and rising organized crime, he argues that Palestinian communities are being left increasingly vulnerable. McClain explores how broader regional policies and ongoing conflict contribute to cycles of insecurity and disenfranchisement.
June 24, 2026: P4P: The Crushing Weight of the Israeli Occupation: Reflections on "Letters from the Palestinian Prison"
In this P4P, Richard McDaniel, CMEP's summer 2026 Communications Intern, reflects on the themes presented in David Wild's documentary, “Letters from the Palestinian Prison,” through the lens of his own experience living and working in the West Bank. Drawing on Palestinian Christian voices featured in the film, McDaniel explores the realities of life under occupation while highlighting the enduring hope and faith that sustains many Palestinians despite profound hardship. His reflection illustrates that Christians are called not only to witness suffering with compassion, but also to work tirelessly for a just peace where Israelis and Palestinians alike can live with security, dignity, and self-determination.
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.
We are not giving up on pursuing peace! And CMEP's executive director persists in pursuit of completing a 140.6 IronMan triathlon on behalf of Gaza. "Persistence is an essential quality for peace. I have learned that lesson again and again in life, and never more so than in my pursuit of a deeply personal and transformative journey — one that challenges me both physically and emotionally. Through my training for, and eventual completion of, an Ironman Triathlon, I aim to raise $140,600 to support a cause that is close to my heart: bringing freedom, justice, and peace to the Middle East."- Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of CMEP
June 28 2026: (Chicago) Destiny Magnett Guest Sermon at Missio Dei Uptown
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Destiny Magnett is the Programs and Outreach Manager at Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) where she serves as the primary liaison for church partners, oversees CMEP’s online and in-person educational programming, and co-leads the grassroots regional coordinator network. Grounded in deep commitments to justice, she draws from her own ecumenical Christian identity to help diverse American Christian communities deepen their understandings of the Middle East through storytelling, theological and scriptural investigation, and dialogue. Destiny holds an MTS and Religion & Public Life Certificate from Harvard Divinity School, where her work focused on decoloniality, religious ethics, peacebuilding, and religion in the public sphere. She also holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Grinnell College.
July 15, 2026: Faithful Advocacy, Urgent Times: Middle East Policy Update
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET
On July 15th at 1PM EST join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and DC-based experts Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff (ELCA) & Josh Paul (A New Policy) for the latest updates from Capitol Hill relating to U.S. policies impacting Israel, Palestine, and the broader Middle East. Beyond providing the latest landscaping, speakers will also offer advocacy action steps and specific advice for outreach to congressional offices on key legislative priorities.
June 2026: Faith, Resistance, and the Politics of Solidarity Webinar
In June 2026, CMEP hosted the three-part webinar series facilitated by Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon. Bringing together South African anti-apartheid leaders, theologians, pastors, and human rights advocates, the series explored the narratives surrounding the alleged "white genocide" in South Africa and the actual genocide occurring in Gaza; examined apartheid as a political, legal, and theological system and its relevance to contemporary debates about Israel and Palestine; and reflected on the significance of the Belhar Confession as a Christian call to justice and reconciliation. Throughout the series, the various speakers spoke of the role of the global church in confronting oppression, standing alongside marginalized communities, and bearing witness to God's vision for peace and liberation. You can also read the transcript here on substack and subscribe to receive more updates.
