Christian Friends of Israel brings hope to missile-hit communities amid Iran war

In a recent interview with Christian journalist Paul Calvert from the southern Israeli city of Beersheva, Linelle Larue of Christian Friends of Israel described how volunteers are helping residents recover after a direct hit near a soccer field left nearby apartment buildings damaged and families displaced.

Larue said her team joined cleanup efforts in homes filled with broken glass, debris and other remnants of daily life disrupted by Operation Roaring Lion, Israel’s military campaign against Iran that began on Feb. 28.

In recent days, CFI also sent assistance to Beit Shemesh and Tel Aviv, reflecting its ongoing efforts to serve communities hit by the recent violence. She told Calvert that there has been a wide mix of people stepping in to help.

“We actually… yesterday, there was a father and a son that joined. So it's beautiful to see such a variety of people from Jerusalem, from the area, from abroad. It's beautiful.”

For Larue, this willingness to serve reveals practical solidarity as much as compassion in times of tragedy.

Inside one damaged apartment, the destruction was strikingly personal. Larue explained what she saw in one man’s apartment: “He had lots of plants. So, you even saw, like, splatters of plants all over the wall and shrapnel on the opposite side of the wall. There was like shrapnel that damaged the walls.”

Alongside the cleanup crews, other teams brought much-needed supplies and toiletries to the evacuees staying in hotels.

“Because many of these families – they have been taken from their homes and put up in hotels. So, you know, just to help the kids to pass their time, and, you know, just to be a blessing to them as well,” Larue said, adding that even small acts, like putting things back in order, can have a huge impact after devastation.

She said Israelis are surprised when they realize that Christians from other countries have come to volunteer and help. Larue said the gratitude volunteers encounter shows how deeply their support is felt by people living in displacement and facing ongoing concerns about future attacks. Yet even amid the uncertainty and destruction, she said one theme continues to emerge.

“We've been seeing how people still choose to celebrate even in the midst of devastation. They still choose to say 'Yes' to life.”

Click below to listen to the full interview.