Mennonite Central Committee continues to provide humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip through a local partner after Israel banned 37 groups from operating there. But Israeli restrictions still severely limit the size and speed of aid efforts, despite a ceasefire.
As December begins, we want to start looking forward to celebrating a joyful Christmas. Doing so is tough with wars still in Ukraine and the Middle East. The world situation is so bleak, some are tempted to give up hope. The Christian Advent is full of hope, but it also reminds us that we have to work to prepare the way for the Lord, not just wait passively for his coming.
As the Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families. With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organizations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes.
The coordinator of the World Council of Churches’ Jerusalem Liaison Office is the 2025 recipient of the Menno Simons Sermon Award.
The German Mennonite Peace Committee is honoring an Israeli-Palestinian renewable energy humanitarian organization with the 2025 Michael Sattler Peace Prize.
