By: Dr. Jürgen Bühler, ICEJ President

With the Hamas rocket war against Israel now in its eighth day, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is expanding our response to meet the many urgent needs amid this ongoing crisis. Besides the 15 portable bomb shelters we will be providing to vulnerable Israeli border communities over coming weeks, we also are reaching out to Israelis living near the Gaza border area with a variety of humanitarian assistance.

Our emergency relief for Israel will include:

1) Providing protective vests and other gear for volunteer security and first responder teams who are on the front lines 24/7 in this conflict. They actually went into full-time emergency mode 12 days ago, when Palestinian terror militias in Gaza started igniting dozens of wildfires in their fields and villages with incendiary balloons.

2) Sponsoring respites for several days away from the conflict for needy Israeli families, especially children and the elderly, who have been under constant rocket and mortar fire over the past week.

3) Supporting trauma relief and assistance projects in the Gaza periphery communities, where resilience centers and trauma counselors are helping families with children deal with the immense anxiety and long-term impact of the incessant rocket and terror attacks.

4) Assisting with social welfare projects which are providing basic aid and relief to desperate and disadvantaged Israeli families in the hardest hit areas of the present conflict, including in Sderot, Ashdod, Ashkelon and other cities and towns under repeated rocket fire. Many Israelis were still out of work from Corona and now the Hamas rocket barrages have crippled their chances of finding a job, while children are out of school and businesses are failing. Others have lost use of their homes due to rocket damage. We want to be there to help wherever we are able.

The longer this Hamas rocket war goes on, the worse the impact will be on Israelis under fire, whether physically, emotionally or economically.

So please help us expand our urgent relief efforts for Israelis in peril from Hamas rockets and terror tactics. Our assistance can do the most good right now, when it is needed most.

Give your best gift today towards our emergency response by giving to our Israel in Crisis fund.