Palestinians evacuating following an Israeli airstrike

Israel-Gaza conflict

To help you and your congregation pray for the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza, we’ve gathered some helpful resources provided by organisations much closer to the situation. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the conflict, some of these resources and links might not always remain up to date.

The most recent statement from the House of Bishops about the Israel/Gaza conflict came on February 13, and it asks for an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages in the context of the relentless bombing of Gaza. Read more here

Statement from the House of Bishops

The House of Bishops issued a statement on the Israel-Gaza conflict on February 13, asking for an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages. They said clearly that the manner in which the war is being prosecuted cannot be morally justified, and urged prayer for peace. They also condemned the rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiment in the UK. Read more here.

Appeal from the Archbishop in Jerusalem

The Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum, has joined forces with Archbishop Justin Welby to ask you to pray for peace, to advocate for a just and lasting peace, and to donate to support their ministries in Gaza, Palestine and Israel. Their letter can be read here, and you can donate here.

You can also watch his appeal to the Church of England's General Synod in November 2023, above.

Archbishop Justin Welby, Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

Lambeth Palace

The Archbishop of Canterbury was joined by Muslim and Jewish leaders at Lambeth Palace to condemn the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents, and to call for unity between British faith communities against the backdrop of war between Israel and Hamas. Archbishop Justin Welby, Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg stood together outside Lambeth Palace and delivered statements calling for solidarity and unity between communities in the UK, and rejecting any form of hatred or discrimination. Click here to read more.

More from the Archbishop of Canterbury

Prayer resources

Interfaith resources

You may want to bring together those from other faiths, to symbolise the shared commitment to peace in your local area. You may therefore be interested in guidelines from the national Church of England about working together with those of other faiths. You can find some details here:

Making donations

  • Christian Aid has launched an emergency appeal to help people affected by the escalation of violence across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Christian Aid works alongside local partners to ensure aid gets to those most in need. Every donation will make a difference; £6 will pay for a basic hygiene kit while a donation of £37 will pay for a food parcel for a family of five in Gaza.

    To make a donation, please visit the Middle East Crisis Appeal page on the Christian Aid website.
     
  • Appeal to help those suffering after bombing of Gaza hospital