After the escape of six Palestinian prisoners on September 6 th , some of the relatives of the
escaped prisoners were arrested and family visits were cancelled for prisoners as a form of
collective punishment. Palestinians have responded with solidarity demonstrations, which have
been met with repression from Israeli forces, leading to injuries amongst demonstrators.

God, you proclaim “Liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners” (Isaiah
61:1). We pray for Palestinian political and administrative prisoners who are
deprived of their basic rights according to international law.
Lord, in your Mercy… Hear our Prayer.

On September 13 th , UNRWA ( United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian
Refugees in the Near East) honoured Palestinian Loay Elbasyouni for his work on the NASA
Mars helicopter, which completed its first flight to Mars in April 2021. He was a former student
at an UNRWA school in Gaza.

Lord, we thank you for the inspiration Loay Elbasyouni’s achievements gives to
refugees and children in Gaza. We pray that children in Gaza and around the world
would have equal access to education and that they would be given the support they
need to develop their talents and gifts.
Lord, in Your Mercy…Hear our Prayer.

As of September 16 th , administrative detainee Kayed Fasfous has been on hunger strike for 65
days, along with five other detainees, to protest incarceration without trial.  According to the
Palestinian Prisoner Society there are currently 520 administrative detainees.

Lord, we thank you for the strength and courage Kayed and others have shown in
resisting the violation of their rights. We pray that the rights of current detainees
would be respected and for the end of the practice of administrative detention.
Lord, in Your Mercy…Hear our Prayer

Thursday September 16 th was the memorial day for the Sabra & Shatila Massacre, which took
place in Lebanon in 1982, and led to the death of up to 3,500 Palestinian refugees and Lebanese
civilians.

Lord, we remember the victims and their families. We grieve for the dead and those
who lost loved ones during this brutal massacre. We pray for an end to violence and
for an end to the destruction of life everywhere.
Lord, in Your Mercy…Hear our Prayer.

This week Muna and Mohammed El Kurd made the TIME magazine’s “top 100 influential
people of 2021” list. Muna and Mohammed El Kurd are from the community of Sheikh Jarrah
where Palestinian families are being expelled from their homes. In May 2021, the El Kurd’s
began documenting and speaking out against the ongoing expulsion of people in Sheikh Jarrah,
and they gained a large following on social media.

Lord, we thank you for the advocacy of Muna and Mohammed El Kurd and their
bold stand against injustice in Sheikh Jarrah. We pray for justice for the families
who have been expelled from their homes, and for an end to these forced removals.
Lord, in Your Mercy…Hear our Prayer.

This week is the World Week of Prayer for Palestine and September 21 st is the World Day of
Prayer for Peace.

Jesus, you taught us: “blessed be the peacemakers for they shall be called children
of God” (Mathew 5:9). We thank you for all those who are praying and acting for
peace both in Palestine and around the world.
Lord, in Your Mercy…Hear our Prayer.

This week’s Kumi online gathering on Tuesday, September 17 th , focused on the Blockade on
Gaza, which was implemented in 2006 and has resulted in a severe deterioration of living
conditions in Gaza. The combination of the blockade and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have also led
to a shortage of materials necessary for rebuilding homes and other infrastructures such as
clinics, hospitals, and schools. The health system has also been severely strained in the midst of
COVID-19. As of August 2021, only 16 % of Gazan adults have received two vaccines.

God of justice, we pray for the many injustices Gazans face and ask that you would
move people around the world to stand in solidarity with Gaza. We thank you for
the many Gazans who both continue to work to rebuild their communities and
advocate for the end of the blockade. May your spirit sustain and nourish them. We
pray that the oppressive structures that inflict ongoing violence against Gazans
would be dismantled and that the conditions necessary for peace and human
flourishing would take root and grow.
Lord in Your Mercy…Hear our prayer

Nesreen Qutainah, a primary school teacher from Hebron, has been shortlisted for the Varky Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2021. Nesreen uses play to make learning about science and mathematics more interesting and enjoyable for her pupils. During the Covid pandemic she made and distributed booklets she had designed herself to encourage them to continue engaging with their studies.

• Lord, we give thanks for Nesreen and for all teachers who have made every effort during lockdown to inspire and support their pupils.
  Lord, in your mercy …

The municipality of Jerusalem voiced its strong opposition to a controversial construction plan for the abandoned Palestinian village of Lifta. The village nestles in the green hills of the city and is one of the over-500 destroyed Palestinian villages in the 1948 Nakba. The Israeli Land Authority is proposing to ignore the global historic significance of the village by destroying it to build 243 luxury housing units and a boutique hotel.

• Lord, we pray that the Palestinian heritage represented in the village of Lifta will be protected from all attempts to obliterate it. We continue to pray for Palestinian refugees who were evicted from their villages and homes and for the implementation of the right of return of all refugees.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Anhar Al-Deek gave birth to a healthy baby boy, named Alaa, just days after the Israeli authorities were pressurised to release her on bail. She is now recuperating from a Caesarean section delivery.

• Lord, we give thanks that Anhar was able to give birth to her son among family and friends and not in the hands of the occupation. We pray that other Palestinian women may be released before long from the dreadful living conditions in Israeli military prisons.
  Lord, in your mercy…