Faith under fire: Pastor Hanna Massad on Christians in Gaza

In this moving Paul Calvert interview, Pastor Hanna Massad, founder and director of Christian Mission to Gaza, offers a glimpse into the frequent suffering, resilience, and faith of the small Christian community in Gaza amidst one of the longest and most devastating conflicts in its history.

Pastor Hanna, who established Christian Mission to Gaza in 1999, shared how the ministry meets the spiritual and physical needs of Gazan Christian and Muslims. “Christian Mission to Gaza started…to reflect Christ's love to the people in Gaza in one hand and in the other hand to help with their physical needs because there are a lot of poverty through the years,” he explained.

Now, with more than 600 days of the Iron Swords War having passed, conditions have become dire. Pastor Hanna describes the crisis that is hard to understand from outside the region: “It’s really hard to express the pain and the suffering and what the people are going through... not enough food, there’s a lot of anxiety, worry, scared and the bombing… it’s just a lot of fear.”

Despite these hardships, the Christian community in Gaza remains remarkably steadfast. Pastor Hanna shared how he has been personally inspired by their strength: “I try to encourage them, but they really encouraged me...prayed for me, and it's just their faith and the hope they have in the living Christ. It’s just amazing and it's very inspiring because they really want to live for the Lord, in spite of the pain, the suffering, lack of food and the challenges they are facing.”

Christian Mission to Gaza has provided over 30,000 hot meals, clean water, clothing, and financial assistance. Pastor Hanna sees these accomplishments as an example of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25, explaining, “So this is what motivates us, Brother Paul, and encourages us and inspire us, the words of Jesus, when we do it to brothers and sisters and people who [are] also created in the image of God, we do it to Jesus Himself.”

With over 70% of buildings destroyed and the population of Christians dwindling from 900 to roughly 600, as many have fled Gaza seeking safety in other countries, Pastor Hanna calls for continued prayer and support. He added “We pray for God to raise peacemakers in both sides… because it’s not God’s will, and war is not from the Lord.”

Click below to listen to the interview.