A three-member medical team from Hungarian Baptist Aid is in Egypt, helping both Palestinians and Israelis affected by the current Gaza crisis.

Baptist World Aid, the relief-and-development arm of the Baptist World Alliance, gave an initial grant of $10,000 for medical treatment of people who have fled the fighting, in its 13th day as of press time Jan. 8. Other planned relief projects include counseling and relief programs in the heavily bombed Israeli city of Sderot, said BWAid Director Paul Montacute.

By Bob Allen, ABPnews, 08 January 2009

Pastor of the Christian Alliance Church in the old City of Jerusalem writes 12 practical ways you can pray for the situation in Gaza.

"I am not going to report to you more of everything that is going on, since all the news are talking daily about it. The following are ways you can pray for the situation"

Jack Sara, Special For "Come and See", Jan 14, 2009

The pastor of the Catholic parish in Gaza City described Gaza as "drowning in blood" as hospitals overflowed with patients.

In a message to participants in a special Mass for peace at St. Stephen Church in Jerusalem Jan. 4, Msgr. Manuel Musallam, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Gaza City, wrote: "What you see on television cannot be compared to what is happening. The word love is choking in my throat. ... We are living like animals in Gaza. We cry and nobody hears us. I am asking God for mercy and pray that the light of Christianity continues to shine in Gaza."

By Judith Sudilovsky, Catholic News Service, Jan 5, 009

As Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Christ, CURE International continues work on a $4.25 million specialty surgical and training center in the town of His birth.

"Over 2000 years ago, a baby born in Bethlehem brought hope to the world," said Dr. Scott Harrison, CURE's founder, president, and chief executive officer. "As we look again toward Bethlehem this Christmas season, the city of Jesus' birth will soon be a place of hope for disabled children. They will have the hope of healing."

MNN, Dec 17, 2008

Director of the The Palestinian Bible Society (PBS) writes to his friend Rami Ayyad one year after he was murdered for his faith in Gaza City. The PBS launched a web site to honor Rami.

"In this day and despite the fact that our eyes are full of tears, we remember that you are in the pastures with the Redeemer Jesus, and we are happy for you, Rami, because you walked the same path as HE did. We promise you not to stop or to weaken on the road, knowing that with us is the most precious of companions leading the way in every struggle, and we will be victorious and win, my friend"

Nashat Filmon, The Palestinian Bible Society, Oct 7, 2008

The young John Lennon may have once irreverently boasted that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus. But not, it seems, in Jesus's birthplace and among some Palestinians at least.

Before Sir Paul McCartney turned up genuinely unannounced at the Church of the Nativity here yesterday, a bemused policeman, Mohammed Itmazi, 26, confessed that he hadn't heard either of him or of the band that made him world famous. Yes, there had been many famous people coming through, such as Nicolas Sarkozy and, he added, prompted by a companion, Gordon Brown. But Sir Paul, well no, he was not sure who he was.

Donald Macintyre in Bethlehem, the Independent, Sep 25, 2008

Election related news continue to be made in the Middle East weeks after the Barack Obama visited the region. The office of the Palestinian president released, Wednesday, a copy of the peace poster that Abbas presented to Obama.

In a related event, a leader of the tiny Christian Palestinian community in Jerusalem sent an angry complaint to Barak Obama for his failure to visit Christian holy sites during his most recent visit.

By Daoud Kuttab, Palestinian News Network, Aug 10, 2008

Over two hundred Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian and International worshippers who were holding a prayer service at Ush Ghrab park in Beit Sahour Wednesday evening.

As the mass started the settlers, who organized an activity in the same site, started to provoke the worshippers and asked them to leave, eyewitnesses reported.

Settlers also threatened some of the local and international journalists who were present. The Israeli soldiers who were there asked the internationals and the Palestinians to leave the park and did not attempt to stop the settlers when they started to force everyone to leave, the witnesses said.

George Rishmawi - IMEMC, Aug 7, 2008

Mahmoud Darwish (1942-2008) is a Palestinian national icon who has passed away on August 9, 2008 . He is considered one of the essential witnesses of the 1948 tragedy in which many Palestinian Christians and Muslims were exiled.

Darwish was born in the village of al-Birwa, east of Akko . He attended school in Kufr Yassif and then lived in many different countries including Lebanon, Egypt, Russia and the West Bank.

Special For "Come and See", Aug 10, 2008

Jericho Mayor Hassan Saleh handed over a certificate of ownership for three plots in the Holy Land to Russian Audit Chamber Chairman Sergey Stepashin on Monday.

"The Palestinian National Authority chairman ruled that all lands related to the Russian Orthodox Church and Russia should be returned to their legal owners," Saleh told Stepashin in the Russian Audit Chamber.

One of the land plots covering 12,000 square meters was handed over to the Russian government. This piece of land has a sanctuary for all Christians in the world, as well as a fig-tree of tax collector Zacchaeus.

Interfax, June 9, 2008