Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) recruit, train and use children as fighters. It is a war crime and a human rights abuse to use children in armed conflicts. Israel is experiencing increased terrorist aggression in the West Bank, and Palestinian children are being killed. On Monday Ahmed Saqer died during a Palestinian and IDF gunbattle. Palestinian media said he was throwing rocks. Palestinian terror groups described Ahmed as a ‘fighter’. Could he have been throwing deadly munitions not rocks? On his TikTok account is a video of him posing next to a PIL flag. Another video showed a dozen pipe bombs inside his home. Regardless of what he was throwing, it was a difficult situation for Israeli forces to deal with. On Tuesday, two Palestinian teens died when an explosive device they were carrying detonated. A third person was critically wounded. There are many more incidents of children dying in battles.
Nine women and seventeen children are taking the Australian government to court, arguing that Australia has ‘effective control’ of their detention and the power to set them free from Syria’s Roj refugee camp. These Australian wives, widows, and children of slain or jailed IS members claim a legal right to return to Australia. Most are in squalid and violent detention camps, some held for four years. Children have untreated shrapnel wounds, malnourishment, and serious mental illnesses. Some were born in the camp and know no life outside it. Save the Children Australia say that legal action was a last resort, but they were left with no choice but to take Australia’s government to court. Pray that the US-backed Kurdish SDF army and the refugee camp officials will actively cooperate in the release of these Australians as they did for other countries, including Denmark, USA, Germany, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Nicaragua: Brazil lobbies for bishop’s release
29 Jun 2023
Brazilian president Lula wants his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortega, to free Bishop Rolando Alvarez, who was sent to prison for over 26 years for refusing to leave Nicaragua after Ortega expelled him with 222 other political prisoners to America. He had been locked up for sermons unflattering to the government. Because he refused to leave, he was sent to a maximum-security cell. President Lula said, ‘There is no reason for the bishop to be prevented from exercising his function in the Church. The only thing the Church wants is for Nicaragua to free him.’ While Brazil and Nicaragua have good relations, ties between the Vatican and the Central American state have been severely strained following a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018, when the Church acted as a mediator between them. Lula said that Ortega should recognise that a mistake had been made.
Myanmar: army cuts off aid to cyclone survivors
29 Jun 2023
Millions who survived Myanmar's strongest cyclones are struggling to rebuild their lives. Aid trickled in until 8 June, when Myanmar's army rulers banned transport for aid groups operating in the area, making it impossible for them to deliver aid. ‘The move has turned an extreme weather event into a man-made catastrophe.’ said Human Rights Watch. Cyclone Mocha hit in May, killing hundreds. Families are reeling from dwindling aid a month after their homes were destroyed. ‘There isn't enough water or food and finding them has become much harder with the monsoon under way’, says Aye Phyu. ‘It's been raining all week. We struggle every day. The children are studying in a school with no roof. When the storm hit all the houses collapsed. There is nowhere to stay.’ Only a fraction of homes have been repaired after the storm destroyed over 2,000 villages and 280,000 homes in Rakhine state, where 78% live below the poverty line.
Syria: poor man’s cocaine
29 Jun 2023
Built on the ashes of ten years of war, an illegal drug industry run by associates and relatives of President Bashar al-Assad has grown into a multibillion-dollar operation, eclipsing Syria’s legal exports and turning the country into the world’s newest narcostate. Its flagship product, captagon, is an addictive, inexpensive amphetamine, popular in Saudi Arabia and now being found in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Syria’s operations include workshops manufacturing the pills, packing plants to conceal them for export and smuggling networks to spirit them abroad. The production and distribution is overseen by the Fourth Armoured Division of the Syrian Army, commanded by Maher al-Assad, the president’s brother. Hezbollah's fighters have played a key role in helping the Syrian government turn the tide in the civil war and have long been accused of involvement in drug trafficking. The UK and US have imposed sanctions on those responsible for the captagon trade, which could be worth $57 billion. See
South Sudan: refugee camp’s conflict
29 Jun 2023
People escaping the fighting in Khartoum are creating a crisis in South Sudan. Roughly 50,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to South Sudan. However, putting people from different tribal groups in the same refugee camp creates fear and anxiety, with tensions boiling over. In many of these regions, there is much hostility. Even in the city of Malakal 13 people were killed in a conflict in the United Nations refugee camp. Orphanages are being evacuated and children displaced. For refugee children, going from fighting in their home country to fighting in the refugee camp is frightening. Child Evangelism Fellowship has been serving refugee camps in South Sudan since 2016. Its staff now want to reach this new wave of Sudanese refugees and children pouring in from the northern border. It has a burden to bring relief, comfort, and the gospel. However, some of South Sudan’s northern cities are difficult and even dangerous to get into.
Birmingham: giant prayer wall
23 Jun 2023
Christians of all denominations gathered on the outskirts of Birmingham to bless the land on which a giant prayer monument will be built. The construction of the 169-feet tall Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will begin soon and when completed will be the largest Christian monument in the world. It will be in the form of an endless loop, containing the text of the prayers of millions of people around the world which have been answered. About 300 people attended the consecration of the land. The monument’s founder, Richard Gamble, said, ‘The blessing of the land ensures that it is built on a sacred foundation of prayer and gratitude. This iconic monument, dedicated to the power of prayer, showcases an endless global database of stories that Jesus answered, making hope visible to future generations.’
USA: drive-thru prayer
23 Jun 2023
Intimacy with God Church in Houston believes a personal relationship with God will positively affect generations and return entire families to God’s original design. Recently they decided to spread God’s love in a creative way. They put up posters saying ‘Drive-thru Prayer’ and stood in the street and waited. Many came: more and more were blessed by the love they offered. After praying they made sure to share Christ and handed out tracts and Bibles. Many who experienced their outreach praised the church for a job well done: comments included ‘This is awesome’ and ‘This should be international’.