'It's not just people far away who need peace, Bolton does too'
On #prayforpeacewednesday this week, I invited people to pray particularly for the peacemakers presently working to broker peace between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
We don't hear much about these people, but their role in the background is crucial. Without them it's unlikely there will be peace, so they need our love and support and prayers.
Then on Thursday, I had the privilege of sharing in a fantastic summer festival at St Thomas' CE Primary School in Halliwell.
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The theme was peace, and through story and song, drawings and drumming and dance, we celebrated peace. It was joyful and fun and everyone had a great time.
But it was more than just a happy time, for our theme was powerful and challenging, inviting us to stop and think seriously about peace.
Peace in our school and community. Peace in our lives and families. Peace in our town and region. And peace in our nation and global community.
I was invited to share a few words at the end, so I told them one of the reasons why I follow Jesus is that the Bible calls him the 'Prince of Peace.'
In a world of squabbles and division, conflict and war, I've found no bringer of peace greater than Christ.
I went on to tell the story of Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop of Cape Town, who worked incredibly hard to bring a peaceful stability to South Africa in the 1990's when many feared the nation might plunge into civil war.
He got people together to share their anger, frustration and pain.
Those who had persecuted others because of the colour of their skin met the families of those they'd hurt, tortured and even killed.
Stories were told and sorrow was shared. It was difficult and painful, yet healing and good.
It was remarkable, so much so that Desmond Tutu was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a peacemaker.
The children had been talking about peace-making, so I reminded them of Jesus's famous words: 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.' I thanked them for what they had presented and reminded them that you don't have to be a bishop to be a peacemaker, we can all do that.
In fact, that was exactly what they'd been doing at the festival, and I urged them to keep going.
As we pray for the peacemakers in the Middle East, Thursday's festival reminded me to pray also for peacemakers closer to home, starting with the children of St Thomas' CE Primary.
Because it's not just people far away who need peace, Bolton does too.
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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Israel begins daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas to allow ‘minimal' aid as hunger grows
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of the Gaza Strip for 10 hours a day, part of measures including airdrops as concerns grow over surging hunger and as Israel faces international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said the 'tactical pause' in Gaza City, Deir al Balah and Muwasi, three areas with large populations, would increase humanitarian aid entering the territory. The pause runs from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily until further notice. 'Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. As the military had warned, combat operations continued otherwise. Health officials in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 38 Palestinians from late Saturday into Sunday, including 23 seeking aid. An airstrike on a Gaza City apartment killed a woman and her four children. Another strike killed four people, including a boy, his mother and grandfather, in the eastern Zaytoun neighborhood. Israel's military had no immediate comment. Food experts have warned for months of the risk of famine in Gaza, where Israel has restricted aid to the population of more than 2 million because it says Hamas siphons off goods to help bolster its rule. Israel has not offered evidence for its claim. Images in recent days of emaciated children in Gaza have fanned global criticism of Israel, including by close allies, who call for an end to the war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has created. Much of Gaza's population, squeezed by fighting into ever tinier patches of land, now relies on aid. Israel's military also said it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery. It said the new steps were made in coordination with the United Nations and other humanitarian groups. Neighboring Jordan said it carried out three airdrops over Gaza, including one in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, dropping 25 tons of food and supplies on several locations. The U.N. World Food Program welcomed the steps and said it had enough food in, or on its way, to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. It said a ceasefire was needed to ensure goods reached everyone in need. WFP has said a third of Gaza's population was not eating for days and nearly half a million were enduring famine-like conditions. Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, director-general of Gaza's Health Ministry, called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition after an increase in hunger-related deaths. 'This [humanitarian] truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives,' he said. 'Every delay is measured by another funeral.' The local pauses in fighting came as ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams from Qatar on Thursday, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering 'alternative options' to talks. Israel says it is prepared to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something the group has refused. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said Israel's change of tack on the humanitarian crisis amounted to an acknowledgment that there were starving Palestinians in Gaza, and asserted that the move was meant to improve its international standing and not save lives. After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies to Gaza for 2½ months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Fifty of them remain in Gaza, more than half of them believed to be dead. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the United Nations and others to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed. The U.N. says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the U.N.'s control, Israel has backed the U.S.-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centers distributing boxes of food. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new sites, the U.N. human rights office says. Israel has railed against the U.N. throughout the war, saying its system allowed Hamas to steal aid. The U.N. denies that claim and says its delivery mechanism was the best way to bring aid to Palestinians. The Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said Israeli forces killed at least 13 people, including four children and a woman, and wounded 101 as they were headed toward a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution site in central Gaza. The foundation, which denies involvement in any violence near its sites, said there were no incidents at or near its sites. Israel's military said it was looking into the report. Ten other people were killed seeking aid in other areas of Gaza, including northwestern Gaza City, where more than 50 people were wounded, hospital officials and medics said. Israel's military announced that two more soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 898 since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war. Hamas killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in that attack, and took 251 hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Shurafa, Goldenberg and Magdy write for the Associated Press and reported from Deir al Balah, Tel Aviv and Cairo, respectively.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Eric Kim's Five-Star Gochujang-Glazed Eggplant
Good morning. If I could wish one thing for you today, and I can, it'd be for a sense of peace to descend upon you, if only for a moment. No fears about the weather, no stress about the news, no feeling that tomorrow will bring pulses of worry and anxiety. There is only summer, only a breeze, only a kiss of sunlight and, if you're lucky, a few flowers and a whistling bird. I want for you a day of rest and ease, with little to concern you but a trip to the market and dinner to prepare. Embrace that notion. Cook with it. Unless you're working, unless you're on call or patrolling, responsible for infants or the aged, there is no reason to concern yourself today with the future. Tell yourself: Just this once! For dinner, Eric Kim's recipe for gochujang-glazed eggplant with fried scallions (above), fiery and sweet-salty on its own with rice, or as a banchan to accompany bulgogi or tteokbokki. The scallion oil used to cook the eggplant is exquisitely oniony, a perfect foil for the meaty, caramelized eggplant. Featured Recipe View Recipe → With maybe some honey cookies with vanilla ice cream for dessert? You could remember this day for months, take comfort in it, repeat its lessons in moments when the black dog barks. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Israeli military says it has begun airdrops of aid into Gaza amid increased starvation deaths
Airdrops of aid began Saturday night in Gaza, the Israeli military said, amid increased international pressure and accounts of starvation-related deaths in the territory. The Israeli military also said it would establish humanitarian corridors for United Nations convoys. Israel Defense Forces said in a post to Telegram early Sunday local time that it had airdropped humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, according to the Agence France-Presse. "In accordance with the directives of the political echelon, the IDF recently carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip," the military posted on Telegram, per AFP. The drop included seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar and canned food, the IDF added. In a previous statement issued Saturday, the IDF said it has begun a series of actions "aimed at improving the humanitarian response" in the territory and to "refute the false claims of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip." The statement came after increasing accounts of starvation-related deaths in Gaza following months of experts' warnings of famine. International criticism, including from close allies, has grown as several hundred Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while trying to reach aid. "The airdrops will include seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food to be provided by international organizations," the earlier statement said. The IDF statement did not say when the humanitarian corridors for U.N. convoys would open, or where. The IDF also said it is prepared to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas. The statement also made clear "that combat operations have not ceased" in Gaza against Hamas. And it reiterated the IDF's position that there is "no starvation" in the territory. For months, the United Nations and experts have warned that Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. While Israel's army says it's allowing aid into the enclave with no limit on the number of trucks that can enter, the U.N. says it is hampered by Israeli military restrictions on its movements and incidents of criminal looting. Since easing the blockade in May, Israel has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute, including 2,500 tons of baby food and high-calorie special food for children, Israel's Foreign Ministry said last week. Israel on Saturday said over 250 trucks carrying aid from the U.N. and other organizations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks entered per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. Israel is facing increased international pressure to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticizing Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops, as requested by neighboring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. His office did not give details. "Israel must allow aid in over land to end the starvation unfolding in Gaza," Starmer said in a post on X. "The situation is desperate. We are working with Jordan to get aid into Gaza. We are urgently accelerating efforts to evacuate children who need critical medical assistance to the UK for treatment. I am determined to find a pathway to peace." However, the planned airdrops won't do much to help quench the severe food shortages, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees warned. "Airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X on Saturday. "They are expensive, inefficient & can even kill starving civilians. It is a distraction & screensmoke." He said the "manmade hunger" can only be addressed by Israel lifting the restrictions on aid into Gaza and guaranteeing the "safe movements + dignified access to people in need." At least 53 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunshots overnight and into Saturday, according to Palestinian hospital officials and the local ambulance service on Saturday, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled. Gunfire killed at least a dozen people waiting for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel in the north, said staff at Shifa hospital, where bodies were taken. Israel's military said it fired warning shots to distance a crowd "in response to an immediate threat," and it was not aware of any casualties. A witness, Sherif Abu Aisha, said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from aid trucks, but as they got close, they realized it was Israel's tanks. That's when the army started firing, he told The Associated Press. He said his uncle was among those killed. "We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed," he said. Elsewhere, those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Another Israeli strike killed at least eight people, including four children, in the crowded tent camp of Muwasi in the city of Khan Younis in the south, according to the Nasser hospital, which received the bodies. Also in Khan Younis, Israeli forces opened fire and killed at least nine people trying to get aid entering Gaza through the Morag corridor, according to the hospital's morgue records. There was no immediate comment from Israel's military. The strikes come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a standstill after the U.S and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday, throwing the future of the talks into further uncertainty. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks with Hamas. His comments came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks alongside the United States, said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume, though they did not say when. For desperate Palestinians, a ceasefire can't come soon enough. The body of 5-month-old Zainab Abu Halib arrived at the pediatric department of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Friday. She was already dead. The girl had weighed over 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) when she was born, her mother said. When she died, she weighed less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds). A doctor said it was a case of "severe, severe starvation." Zainab was one of 85 children to die of malnutrition-related causes in Gaza in the past three weeks, according to the latest toll released by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry on Saturday. Another 42 adults died of malnutrition-related causes in the same period, the health ministry said. "She needed a special baby formula which did not exist in Gaza," Zainab's father, Ahmed Abu Halib, told The Associated Press. Her mother, who also has suffered from malnutrition, said she breastfed the girl for only six weeks before trying to feed her formula. "With my daughter's death, many will follow," Esraa Abu Halib said. "Their names are on a list that no one looks at. They are just names and numbers. We are just numbers. Our children, whom we carried for nine months and then gave birth to, have become just numbers." More than 100 people have died in Gaza from malnutrition since the war started, UNICEF said on Thursday, and 80% were children. The charity said screening in the Palestinian enclave had found 6,000 children in a state of acute malnourishment in June alone, marking a 180% increase since February. A UNICEF spokesperson told CBS News on Saturday that its supply in Gaza of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, used for treating severely acutely malnourished children, is expected to run out in mid-August if more is not allowed in. "We are now facing a dire situation, that we are running out of therapeutic supplies," said Salim Oweis, a spokesperson for UNICEF in Amman, Jordan, told Reuters on Thursday. "That's really dangerous for children as they face hunger and malnutrition at the moment," he added.
