[Today’s Prayer] Israel, Hamas agree to release hostages, return Gaza residents home… Lebanon ceasefire also extended

On the 26th (local time), refugees wait for the Israeli military to lift the blockade on Al Rashid Street in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, so that they can return to their homes.

As the Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to release three hostages, including Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud (29), within this week, the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which has been in pain for the past few days, is expected to continue.

According to the Qatari government, which is mediating the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, on the 27th, Hamas has decided to release the three hostages, including Arbel Yehud. The release date has been set for "before Friday (the 31st)."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also announced on the social media X (formerly Twitter) on the 26th, "Hamas has agreed to release Yehud, soldier Agam Berger, and one other person," and "We have decided to allow Palestinian residents in the northern Gaza Strip to return home starting the morning of the 27th."

Israel and Hamas have been at odds over the release of Yehud. Israel claimed that Hamas violated the ceasefire agreement by citing a problem with the order when it released four soldiers first and skipped civilian Arbel Yehud (29) in the second round of hostage releases. It then blocked the Netzarim corridor and other areas to prevent refugees from returning to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israel also decided to extend the ceasefire with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which was scheduled to expire on the 26th.

The White House said on the same day that "the agreement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will remain in effect until February 18, 2025."

Israel and Hezbollah (Lebanese armed group), which had been fighting for over a year due to the Gaza Strip War, agreed to a 60-day temporary ceasefire on November 27th of last year.

However, on the 24th, the Israeli military demanded an extension of the withdrawal deadline, saying that Hezbollah was not honoring the agreement on the stationing of government troops and that they would continue to station troops in southern Lebanon even after the withdrawal deadline. In this situation, concerns were raised that the ceasefire could be broken, as Israeli troops attacked refugees returning to southern Lebanon, causing casualties.

Source: News

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

God, even though peace seems to be on the way, such as the ceasefire and return agreement between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, we still see fearful situations.

We believe that worldly peace cannot go for long and that only your love can bring true peace among Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon!

Lord, we pray that You will come as the Prince of Peace to the long-suffering peoples of Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon! Allow them to know that their anger toward one another will disappear and that they will recognize that the time is near, and that in repentance they will be united by the love of the cross of Jesus, preparing the way for Your coming! Grant that the churches of each nation will first be united in the love of Jesus and forgive one another.

For this, allow the global church will pray unceasingly, so that they will run with the gospel into the midst of these frozen peoples, that they will melt them with the love of Jesus, and that we will complete the way for His coming.

Let the Palestinian people of Israel rise up to fulfill the words of Isaiah 19, and let the Lebanese people fulfil their role as the Arab key to the Kingdom of Heaven, so that they may be used to bring all nations back to You!