Read Time: 5 min 14 sec | Reading Level: 7th Grade

WORLD NEWS

Peace in the Middle East

President Trump declared “the end” of the Gaza war on Monday. The last 20 living Israeli captives were traded for Palestinian prisoners.

Videos showed people celebrating in Israel and Gaza as loved ones came home (watch here and here).

The Red Cross helped return the hostages to their families after 738 days in Hamas’s control. The hostages had been taken alongside 231 others in Hamas’s terror attack on October 7, 2023. 

On the same day, buses delivered 1,966 Palestinian prisoners to Gaza and the West Bank. About 250 were serving life sentences for murder or terror attacks, and ~1,700 were accused of crimes during the war. 

President Trump took a quick trip to the Middle East on Monday to officially sign the deal he helped make. In less than 17 hours, he…

• Met with hostages’ families

• Spoke to the Israeli parliament, announcing “the historic dawn of a new Middle East”

• Received the Order of the Nile in Egypt (its highest civilian honor) for his peace efforts

• Met with 35 Middle Eastern and European leaders to plan for lasting peace

Fighting has mostly stopped, and Israel’s military has pulled back from about half of Gaza. Palestinians are returning home as more aid arrives. 

An international team of about 200 troops (none from the U.S.) will help enforce the peace deal. A “Board of Peace” led by Trump will guide rebuilding efforts.

Negotiators still have a tall task: getting Hamas to give up their weapons and deciding who will replace Hamas as the governing body over Gaza. 

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
As you celebrate hostages' homecoming and pray for their healing, praise God that He is a Shepherd who will never tire or give up until the last sheep comes home to Him.

“‘For this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I myself will search for my flock and look for them… I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and total darkness… I will tend my flock and let them lie down. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak.’”
Ezekiel 34:11–12, 15–16 (CSB) (read full passage)

What do I want to make sure my kids know in light of this story?
Some prayers were answered this week, and some were not. 

The joy of those who received back their loved ones was felt around the world, and the Bible tells us to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15, CSB). But the joy is clouded by the pain of many prayers that seem unanswered. This week’s good news does not erase the tragedies of a long, hard war, and we also “weep with those who weep.” 

Sometimes we feel like God is silent, like He’s forgotten us. But even when we can’t see Him working or listening, the Lord is present and in control. Like an artisan making a beautiful tapestry, He is masterminding a zillion details behind the scenes of our lives. We may only understand how all the threads fit together once we’re with Him in eternity, but we can trust that His work is good and beautiful. 

What gospel lesson can be taught through this story?
Peace in the Middle East will always be tenuous and temporary on this side of the new creation.

But believers have hope, because God has a peace plan. It’s not dependent on skilled negotiators. It doesn’t need Israel’s or Hamas’s approval. It doesn’t merely cover Gaza or the Middle East. It can’t be undone by rebels, and it won’t unravel decades later. The Lord’s peace has been a done deal from the beginning of time, sealed with the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s global, it’s unending, and it’s open to all who would lay down their weapons.

“But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility… He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near” (Ephesians 2:13-17, CSB).

• Watch these artists make beautiful tapestries, and discuss areas of your life where you don’t understand what God is weaving. Share stories of answered prayer and God’s goodness in the waiting.

• Memorize Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (CSB).

• Praise God for answered prayer, and keep asking Him to bring peace in the hearts and lands of those in the Middle East: Heavenly Father, You have guided and provided through the darkest valley. Heal the brokenhearted and wipe away their tears. Show them Your goodness and draw them to worship. Help us to always remember Your mercy so our lives reflect our delight in You, our ever-present Father and Good Shepherd.

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