I’m Will Evans and it’s Wednesday 23rd July 2025. Welcome to the 7-minute briefing podcast - your roundup of news and current affairs from the Middle East and North Africa - brought to you by SAT-7.
The whole MENA region has been on high alert in the last few weeks. Suffering continues in the Holy Land as Gaza’s only Catholic church was bombed last week, and a suicide bombing in a Damascus church has sent shockwaves through Syria’s minority Christian community. Despite a fragile ceasefire, tension remains high after a 12 day conflict between Iran and Israel in June.
The two months since our last Middle East Briefing have been incredibly eventful ones in the region, and through it all, SAT-7 has been there for viewers in distress. Rami Al-Halaseh, SAT-7 Arabic Channels Executive Director, said:
“Our region never ceases to make the news, through wars, conflicts, unrest and revolutions that leave millions in fear, despair and hopelessness. We are entrusted with very powerful resources and platforms that reach millions across the region with the message of faith, hope and the love of God. In such hard times, it is our calling to intensify this message.”
We turn first to Gaza, where a strike on the Holy Family Church on 17 July killed three people who were sheltering there. The shelling also injured 10 others, including the parish priest, Father Romanelli.
Recently, Father Romanelli shared a moving call for peace with SAT-7 ARABIC's You Are Not Alone programme:
"Our church is called the Holy Family, because we remember that when the Holy Family fled Herod's hands from Bethlehem, according to tradition they passed through here on their way to Egypt. So we ask this Holy Family to come back to Gaza and bring us peace."
Let's pray for this hurting church family and all those who are suffering in the Holy Land today.
Looking to Syria now, the Christian community here is on high alert following recent violence towards Christians, including a deadly attack at St Elias Church in Damascus on 22 June. At least 25 people were killed and more than 60 wounded when a man entered the church and opened fire before detonating an explosive vest.
Two days after the attack, SAT-7 ARABIC’s Different Angle programme heard from Elias Khalil, who was at the church when the horrific event took place. He said: “Two brothers near him tried to stop him, but they couldn’t. He reloaded his gun and started killing the people. When they caught him and tried to drag him out of the church, he fell on the ground and detonated the bomb he was wearing.”
A SAT-7 contact in Syria said that there have been other incidents and threats against Christians in recent weeks, and described the situation as “really heavy”. In direct response to recent conflicts and attacks, SAT-7 ARABIC quickly organised a special live worship event called Our Hope is You. You can watch a video clip of this event in today’s show notes.
You’re listening to the 7 minute briefing podcast - brought to you by SAT-7.
Did you know that SAT-7 is now on PrayerMate? Prayermate brings together all your daily prayer points in one convenient app. Download the app in your phone’s app store, and once you’re in, go to World Mission and search SAT-7 UK. You can then subscribe to our Prayer Diary content, so you can pray for SAT-7 and the Middle East every day.
We turn now to Iran, where SAT-7’s Persian channel has been providing comfort to distressed viewers following a 12-day bout of violence between Iran and Israel which started on 13 June. Despite their own fears for their family and friends in Iran, SAT-7 presenters and viewer support teams were on hand to provide spiritual and emotional support.
Mariam, a presenter on SAT-7 Persian children’s show Church4Kids, said:
“The war may have lasted 12 days, but for the children of Iran, its impact goes far beyond those dates. Even though the air strikes have stopped, the fear has not. I have heard children say things like will it happen again? Questions no child should ever have to ask. Parents tell us that their kids still tremble when hearing loud noises, still sleep with the lights on, and are afraid to go to school or even leave the house. What these children need now is not only physical safety, but deep emotional and spiritual healing.”
Finally, we bring you news of a special SAT-7 campaign for refugees. The SAT-7 team has been filming the stories, reflections and prayers of refugees in Egypt, creating a series of powerful videos that were shared on social media and SAT-7’s ARABIC channel.
Speaking about filming the video campaign, project lead Maggie Morgan shared:
“I think that kindness and mercy are the things that are the key changes, the key players that changed people’s lives. This is what is able to stand against religious persecution, war, financial problems, famine, whatever it is that these people went through. The antidote to that is kindness. And the kindness came from each other.”
At a time of division and conflict, let’s give thanks for this glimmer of God’s kindness and mercy, even in the most unlikely places.
Thank you for listening to the 7-minute briefing podcast from SAT-7.
You can go deeper into all of this month’s stories by reading the full Middle East Briefing online.
You can find all of today’s links, plus prayer points, in the show notes.
Thank you for being part of changing the story.
