G a z a C i t y (idea) – This Baptist Church in the Gaza-Strip is in acute danger because of the ongoing fightings between rivaling Palastinian organizations Fatah and Hamas. As church pastor Hanna Massad reports in a call for prayer, fighters of President Mahmud Abbas' Fatah Party got into the church building by force in the evening of February 2^nd.

The Gaza Strip is surrounded by Israel
and borders with Egypt in the south.

They want to use the six-floor high building as a watch point in the armed conflict with supporters of the radical Islamic party Hamas. The watchman, employed by the church, refused to hand out the keys. Afterwards, the Fatah fighters broke into the building by force. Inside the building there are the church service room, a medical ambulance, guestrooms and the only Christian bookstore of the Gaza-Strip. Because of the ongoing fightings it is impossible for Massad to leave his house. As he reports, this is the worst situation he ever faced in his life. Fightings flare up again and again. Because of the unsafe situation, the church service was cancelled on Sunday. Says Massad, "It is very dangerous. We are in God's hand." The international ministry and help organization Open Doors has called for prayer for the 1.4 Millionen peoople in Gaza-Strip. The founder of this help organization, Dutch Anne van der Bijl (Ermelo), had assisted the inauguration of this building last November.

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