A Prayer For Peace And Justice
Introduction: The fragile hope of a ceasefire
After months of relentless violence, destruction, and displacement, the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has brought a breath of relief across the world. For the first time in many months, bombs have stopped falling — at least in parts of Gaza. Families have emerged from the rubble seeking loved ones, aid convoys have begun to move, and prayers have been raised for peace.
This blog has been written on October 14th and 15th and we have had to write and rewrite several blogs over the last week as the situation is changing rapidly. Please look also at current situation as our past blogs remain a snap shot in time.
Yet beneath this relief lies unease. The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic. Gaza’s infrastructure — water, electricity, hospitals, schools — is shattered. Thousands of families remain without food or shelter. Many fear that this ceasefire, like others before it, could collapse, leaving civilians trapped in cycles of violence.
For people of faith, this moment is a call not only to pray for peace, but to seek justice — to demand that governments and arms companies stop fuelling war, and that international law and compassion guide the path forward. This reflection explores the meaning of this ceasefire, the moral necessity of ending arms exports to Israel, the witness of the Global Flotilla, and the warnings of humanitarian groups about the risks that still lie ahead.
A ceasefire is not the end — it’s a beginning
Ceasefires are meant to silence guns and open humanitarian corridors, but they are also fragile political instruments. This most recent agreement, announced under immense international pressure, has been cautiously welcomed by human rights groups, faith communities, and many governments.
Amnesty International described it as “a pathway to ending Israel’s unlawful occupation, apartheid and genocide,” urging that any deal must be grounded in international law and human rights protections (Amnesty International, 2025a).
Oxfam echoed that sentiment, calling the ceasefire “desperately needed” but warning that it “must unlock full and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza” to avoid perpetuating the suffering of civilians (Oxfam GB, 2025).
For millions of Palestinians, this truce represents a reprieve from airstrikes. For Israeli families with loved ones held hostage, it offers the possibility of reunion. Yet many aid agencies caution that unless underlying injustices are addressed — occupation, blockade, and systemic discrimination — a ceasefire risks becoming little more than an intermission in the violence.
True peace cannot be built on silence alone. It requires dismantling the structures that make violence possible.
Ending the arms trade: A moral and political necessity
To pray for peace while supplying weapons to war is to speak with a divided tongue. Despite growing evidence of violations of international humanitarian law, Western governments continue to license and export arms to Israel.
In February 2025, CAAT (Campaign Against Arms Trade) and more than 230 organisations across the world issued a joint statement demanding that all states producing F-35 component parts fighter jets — including the UK — “immediately halt all arms transfers to Israel,” arguing that these weapons are being used in the commission of war crimes (CAAT, 2025).
Amnesty International likewise insists that exporting countries are at risk of complicity in genocide if they continue supplying Israel with military hardware (Amnesty International, 2025b). The message from these groups is clear: there can be no lasting ceasefire if the engines of war remain running.
For Christian communities, this issue cuts to the heart of discipleship. The biblical vision of peace — shalom — is not passive quiet but the active work of justice and repair. As the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation” (Isaiah 2:4).
If we are to live out this vision, we must press our governments to end complicity in the arms trade. Peace must not be left to politicians alone; it must be sustained by conscience, prayer, and people power.
The Global Flotilla: Conscience on the high seas
The recent Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) offered a vivid symbol of moral courage amid despair. Launched in September 2025 by civil society activists, clergy, doctors, and artists, the flotilla aimed to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid directly to its shores. Its name, Sumud — Arabic for “steadfastness” — captures the spirit of non-violent resistance and hope.
On 2 October 2025, Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters, seizing 41 of 42 vessels (The Guardian, 2025). Dozens of participants were detained, including clergy and international journalists. Several later reported being beaten, deprived of food and water, or held in degrading conditions. According to Democracy Now, the remaining detainees were released over the following week, though some activists continue to face trial in Israeli courts (Democracy Now, 2025; New Arab, 2025).
South African participants claimed they were targeted with particular brutality in retaliation for their country’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (PBS NewsHour, 2025).
Despite these risks, the flotilla reignited global attention on Gaza’s isolation and the moral cost of blockade. It reminded the world that ordinary citizens — armed only with conscience — continue to challenge the legality and morality of collective punishment.
In this sense, the flotilla is not merely an act of protest but a theological sign: a demonstration that compassion must sometimes sail into danger, that hope is an act of resistance.
Humanitarian voices for justice
Faith-based and secular NGOs alike have voiced urgent appeals for structural change, not just temporary calm. A snapshot of recent perspectives shows remarkable moral convergence:
| Organisation | Core message | Source |
| CAAT | Stop arms transfers to Israel; enforce legal obligations under international law. | CAAT, 2025 |
| Amnesty International | Ceasefire must end occupation, apartheid, and genocide. | Amnesty International, 2025a |
| Oxfam | Ceasefire must unlock unrestricted humanitarian access and reconstruction led by Palestinians. | Oxfam GB, 2025 |
| Christian Aid | Appeal for humanitarian corridors and UK review of arms exports. | Christian Aid, 2025 |
| Tearfund | Prayerful solidarity and long-term support for displaced families. | Tearfund, 2025 |
| War on Want | End UK complicity in Israeli apartheid. | War on Want, 2025 |
| Red Letter Christians | “Blessed are the peacemakers, not the passive.” | Red Letter Christians, 2025 |
| Sojourners | Interfaith prayer and non-violent advocacy; “stand where the wounded stand.” | Sojourners, 2025 |
Together, these voices urge not just an end to violence but a transformation of systems that make violence profitable.
Cautious voices: Warnings from the field
While many organisations have welcomed the ceasefire, others express deep scepticism about its implementation, humanitarian access, and the supposed “safety” of troop withdrawal. These groups warn that without transparency, monitoring, and political accountability, ceasefires can actually mask new dangers.
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
The NRC cautioned that the Gaza aid plan “will fail” unless NGOs gain full, independent access to affected areas. Jan Egeland, the NRC’s Secretary-General, stated:
“It’s not enough with some U.N. agencies and some few NGOs … The humanitarian plan will fail without full access.”(Reuters, 2025a)
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
The IRC warned that unless the ceasefire leads to a “durable end to hostilities and guaranteed humanitarian access,” millions of civilians will remain at risk. They highlight that aid delivery alone cannot protect people if active surveillance and military control continue (IRC, 2025).
Amnesty International
Amnesty’s July report, Gaza: Starvation or Gunfire — This is Not a Humanitarian Response, described civilians facing “an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot.” This suggests that even ceasefire-aligned “humanitarian corridors” can remain deadly when one side retains armed dominance (Amnesty International, 2025c).
Legal and human rights coalitions
Fifteen European human rights and legal NGOs, including ECCHR and Al-Haq, jointly warned that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) model — a privatised aid scheme backed by external contractors — “risks complicity in serious international law violations” and undermines neutrality (ECCHR, 2025). They argue that such structures militarise aid and reduce accountability.
The New Arab and humanitarian experts
Several analysts have described the U.S.-backed Gaza aid plan as “dangerous and destructive,” claiming it “undermines humanitarian standards” and enables de facto displacement (New Arab, 2025b). This critique reflects growing concern that ceasefires can entrench occupation rather than end it.
Al Jazeera and on-the-ground observers
Despite troop redeployments, violence has already flared. On 14 October 2025, Israeli forces shot five Palestinians near the “yellow line” redeployment zone, testing the ceasefire’s credibility (Al Jazeera, 2025). Civilians attempting to return home have found themselves caught in crossfire or denied passage.
Humanitarian access and aid bottlenecks
According to Reuters, aid agencies report that “no scale-up” of relief has yet occurred despite the ceasefire, as crossings remain restricted and infrastructure destroyed (Reuters, 2025b). This means that for many civilians, “peace” has not translated into safety or survival.
These voices remind us that a ceasefire can create new risks: power vacuums, unclear frontlines, and “silent suffering” when bombs stop but food and medicine cannot get through. As faith communities, our solidarity must include scrutiny, ensuring that peace agreements do not become instruments of control or public relations gestures.
Are people safe as troops withdraw?
The partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza’s central areas has been framed as a gesture toward de-escalation. Yet, as several NGOs warn, withdrawal does not automatically mean safety.
Security vacuums, contested boundaries, and the presence of unexploded ordnance create deadly hazards for civilians returning to destroyed neighbourhoods. Humanitarian agencies have highlighted specific risks:
- Security voids: When troops pull back, armed factions and opportunistic militias may fill the gap.
- Unmarked zones: Confusion about “safe” areas leaves civilians exposed to sniper fire or detentions.
- Humanitarian barriers: Checkpoints and bureaucratic obstacles block aid convoys despite the truce.
- Uncleared ordnance: Unexploded bombs and mines pose long-term dangers for displaced families.
- Lack of monitoring: No robust international observer mission yet exists to oversee troop conduct or protect civilians.
Even as the ceasefire holds on paper, daily life in Gaza remains perilous. True safety will require not only troop withdrawal but also international monitoring, demilitarised corridors, medical access, and accountability for violations.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, and Amnesty International all stress that civilian safety cannot be guaranteed while Israel retains control over crossings and surveillance of aid routes. In short, peace without protection is no peace at all.
Prayer, protest, and prophetic hope
For people of faith, the task now is to combine prayer with prophetic witness. The Beatitudes remind us: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). To be a peacemaker in this context means more than wishing for quiet — it means working for justice.
We can respond in several ways:
- Pray for the protection of civilians, the release of hostages, and healing for the wounded and bereaved.
- Advocate for a full and immediate end to arms transfers that perpetuate violence.
- Support humanitarian organisations offering impartial aid.
- Engage MPs and policymakers to demand monitoring, oversight, and accountability mechanisms.
- Stand with Jewish and Palestinian peace activists seeking coexistence and dignity for both peoples.
Peace must be both a prayer and a policy. As Red Letter Christians remind us, “Peace is not the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.”
Conclusion: From ceasefire to shalom
The ceasefire marks a pause in the killing — but not yet the arrival of peace. Whether it endures depends on what we, as global citizens and people of faith, do next.
Ending the arms trade, ensuring humanitarian access, and demanding legal accountability are not political luxuries — they are moral imperatives.
The Global Flotilla, the voices of NGOs, and the prayers of countless believers all testify that compassion and conscience are stronger than apathy.
Let us therefore pray not only for peace, but for the courage to protect it;
not only for quiet skies, but for justice on the ground;
not only for an end to war, but for the birth of shalom — wholeness, dignity, and restoration for all.
Photo Credit- Dec 2 Seattle Gaza Siege Protest.jpg Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Jewish Voice for Peace-Seattle, Palestine Solidarity Committee, Voices of Palestine, Dyke Community Activists and Women in Black joined together to protest the Siege of Gaza in downtown Seattle
References and Links
Al Jazeera. (2025) Gaza ceasefire tested as Israeli forces kill five Palestinians. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/14/gaza-ceasefire-tested-as-israeli-forces-kill-five-palestinians (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Amnesty International. (2025a) Israel/OPT: Ceasefire must be a pathway to ending occupation, apartheid and genocide. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/10/israel-opt-ceasefire-pathway-ending-occupation-apartheid-genocide/ (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Amnesty International. (2025b) Israel/OPT: No more bargaining chips: Immediate ceasefire and release of hostages urgently needed. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/09/israel-opt-no-more-bargaining-chips-immediate-ceasefire-and-release-of-hostages-urgently-needed/ (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Amnesty International. (2025c) Gaza: Starvation or Gunfire — This is Not a Humanitarian Response. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/gaza-starvation-or-gunfire-this-is-not-a-humanitarian-response/ (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT). (2025) Over 230 global organisations demand governments producing F-35 jets stop arming Israel. Available at: https://caat.org.uk/news/over-230-global-organisations-demand-governments-producing-f-35-jets-stop-arming-israel/ (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Christian Aid. (2025) Middle East Crisis Appeal. Available at: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/ (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Democracy Now. (2025) Israel releases remaining Gaza flotilla participants it abducted on high seas. Available at: https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/13/headlines/israel_releases_remaining_gaza_flotilla_participants_it_abducted_on_high_seas (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
ECCHR. (2025) Human rights and legal organisations warn Gaza Humanitarian Foundation of complicity with serious violations. Available at: https://www.ecchr.eu/en/press-release/human-rights-and-legal-organizations-warn-gaza-humanitarian-foundation-and-partners-of-legal-liability-for-complicity-with-serious-international-law-violations/ (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
International Rescue Committee (IRC). (2025) Crisis in Gaza. Available at: https://www.rescue.org/crisis-in-gaza (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
New Arab. (2025a) Two Israelis face court after joining Gaza aid flotilla. Available at: https://www.newarab.com/news/two-israelis-face-court-after-joining-gaza-aid-flotilla (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
New Arab. (2025b) Why the US-backed Gaza aid plan is dangerous and destructive. Available at: https://www.newarab.com/features/why-us-backed-gaza-aid-plan-dangerous-and-destructive (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Oxfam GB. (2025) Reaction to the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza. Available at: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/media/press-releases/reaction-to-the-announcement-of-a-ceasefire-in-gaza/ (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
PBS NewsHour. (2025) South African activists on Gaza flotilla claim harsh treatment by Israel over genocide case. Available at: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/south-african-activists-on-gaza-flotilla-claim-harsh-treatment-by-israel-over-genocide-case (Accessed: 14 October 2025).
Reuters. (2025a) Gaza aid plan will fail without full access, says Norwegian Refugee Council. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-aid-plan-will-fail-without-full-access-humanitarian-groups-says-norwegian-2025-10-09/ (Accessed: 14 October 2025).