Photo credit: Saher Alghorra for The New York TimesThere is no ceasefire in Gaza.

On October 10, 2025, much of the world rejoiced as a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza. Finally, people thought, the relentless bombing would stop, and much needed humanitarian aid would flow into the Gaza strip, preventing thousands of people from starving to death.

Then, people moved on. The media covered other matters. People shifted their focus from starving Palestinian children to political matters closer to home. For many, it was a welcome reprieve.

Unfortunately, for Palestinians living in Gaza, there has been little relief. Iyad Amawi, humanitarian aid coordinator in central Gaza told Drop Site News that "this so-called peace plan is nothing but a pleasant title hiding a catastrophic reality.”

The reality in Gaza is that targeted strikes continue, despite the so-called ceasefire. Israel has killed nearly 400 Palestinians in Gaza since the so-called ceasefire began, bringing the total death toll to over 70,000. In addition, much needed humanitarian aid has not flooded the strip, rather, it enters in a trickle. In many places in the besieged territory, food is still hard to find, and fuel to cook it with is even more difficult to come by. The World Food Program reports that many Palestinians in Gaza are still only able to eat one meal a day, and in October alone, more than 9,000 Palestinian children had to be hospitalized for acute malnutrition.

As the cold and rainy winter season approaches, most Palestinians in Gaza don’t have proper shelter, and are living in make-shift tents which offer little protection from the elements. At the time of this writing, Gaza is being battered by a severe winter storm; 27,000 tents have been destroyed and one infant has frozen to death. Much needed essentials such as sturdier winter tents, fuel, construction materials, and even many medical supplies are still being blocked. “This is not peace,” Amawi says. “This is a quiet continuation of genocide—slow killing through hunger, disease, cold and suffocation.”

Now is not the time to take our eyes off Gaza. As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas, we cannot ignore the intense human suffering happening in the very place where Jesus was born. As we prepare room in our hearts and homes for Christ to enter, we must also prepare the way for the Prince of Peace to be born again in the Holy Land.

This requires prayerful action. We need to let our government officials know that we demand a real ceasefire, where parties will be held accountable for violations. We need to let our government officials know that we are paying attention, and they can’t gaslight us into thinking that everything is fine. We must demand that any peace plan for the region include Palestinians in the negotiating process (Trump’s 20-point plan did not). We must demand not just a ceasefire, but an end to the nearly 20-year siege on Gaza that was in effect long before October 7, 2023, and an end to apartheid and occupation in the West Bank.

Anyone who claims to care about human rights, freedom, and dignity for all people, but does not demand all these things for Palestinians, is living by a dangerous double standard. It’s past time that we made such double standards unacceptable in the mainstream. It’s past time for Palestinians to be afforded to same rights, liberty, and dignity as everyone else. They are just as human as the rest of us. They bleed the same. They hunger the same. They freeze in the cold the same. They mourn their dead children just as much as we would. It’s past time we recognize their humanity and end this madness.

All eyes on Palestine. We cannot look away.

Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals

UCC MPS Steering Committee Member

This excerpt is from the UCCMPS October 2025 E-Newsletter. To view the full newsletter, click here:
UCC MPS December E-News 2025