Israel/Gaza (MNN) — Israel begins ground strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is preparing for a ground incursion but won’t specify how or when it will occur.

Meanwhile, Hamas threatens to kill some of the 224 hostages it holds but released a handful earlier this week in exchange for aid. The war has displaced over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents in less than three weeks.

Mike* with Global Catalytic Ministries says regional church planters are in a complicated position.

“It’s easy to choose sides these days. But it’s like the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, [with] Isaac and Ishmael being the Arab world and the Jewish world, and the fighting that has happened there,” Mike says.

“As believers, we’ve been grafted into Israel and adopted into that family. How do we support both these cultures without choosing one or the other?”

Global Catalytic Ministries trains disciple-makers in the world’s darkest places. Learn more about the GCM approach here.

“We started off operating in Muslim countries,” Mike says, adding that he and other GCM leaders are increasingly convinced of one thing as the Israel-Hamas war continues.

“The best thing we can do for Israel and its national security is to make disciples in the Muslim world because something happens in their hearts. They fall in love with a Jewish Messiah and start falling in love with the Jewish people.”

Our disciple-makers on the ground are directly affected by this unfolding tragedy, and now, more than ever, we need your prayer for safety and strength.
(Graphic, caption courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)

We can’t release too many details for security purposes, but church planters are working in this war like sheep among wolves.

“Some of our Arab brothers were telling me, ‘Man, I don’t want this to be like 9/11,’ just being persecuted and racially profiled,” Mike says.

“But ultimately, Jesus tears down the barriers and unifies Jew and Gentile. He is the One we look to, and He’s coming soon.”

Pray for success as these believers make disciples in Israel and the broader Middle East. Use prompts listed alongside this report, provided by Global Catalytic Ministries, to guide further intercession.

You can also support disciple-makers through GCM, as these believers deliver physical and spiritual relief to those in need.

 

*Name withheld for security purposes.

 

Header and story images courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries.