Middle East Briefing January 2025
As a new year dawns, there is cause for cautious hope in the Middle East: a new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas; a holding ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon; and a new Syrian leadership which promises to respect the rights of minorities. But while there is cause for optimism, many people in the region begin another year amidst war and uncertainty, with conflict continuing in Sudan and the fall of the Assad regime leaving many with unanswered questions and an ongoing search for justice.

LONG-AWAITED CHANGE IN SYRIA
In Syria, December saw the long-awaited collapse of the Assad regime, after a major offensive led by the group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) brought an end to the civil war that began almost fourteen years ago. Large numbers of Syrians took to the streets cheering and crying as they expressed their hopes for the future. But many are concerned about what the change in leadership will mean for minority groups in the country – fears that were only exacerbated by the burning of a community Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah, a predominately Christian town in central Syria.
Syria has a strong Christian heritage and was an important site for early Christianity. But in recent years, the Christian community has faced numerous challenges, including displacement, emigration and persecution. Before the civil war, Christians numbered around 1.5 million, or around 10 per cent of the population, but the figure has now fallen to approximately 300,000, or just 2 per cent.1 While the Assad regime afforded a certain amount of protection and freedom to Syrian Christians, since the start of the civil war over 120 churches have been destroyed, and Christians have suffered persecution and violence in areas controlled by so-called Islamic State (IS). 2
HTS, originally part of IS, became an independent group in 2017 and has since been governing the northwestern province of Idlib. While HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been expressing his desire that his new leadership should respect minorities, many remain cautious. He stressed in an interview that “minorities have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them. There must be a legal framework that protects and ensures the rights of all, not a system that serves only one sect.”3
SAT-7 ARABIC has been hearing from church leaders in Syria on live programmes Different Angle and You Are Not Alone about their hopes and fears for the country’s future. Pastor Adon Nabih Noaman, President of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Homs, told Different Angle that this was “one of the most difficult times” for Christians in the country because they are “entering a new era that is unknown”. But he encouraged viewers with the message that “God is good and loving.” “Change is always fearful,” he acknowledged, “but we believe that God is present. We hope that this change is positive.”
SAT-7 KIDS show Jesus is Our Strength shares Christmas joy with youth who have faced challenges and conflict this year in Lebanon
RETURNING HOME TO LEBANON
Elsewhere in the region, after almost 14 months of fighting across the border between Lebanon and Israel, a ceasefire that took effect in late November appears to be holding. The ceasefire demands a two-month halt to hostilities and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon. While the initial two-month period of the ceasefire will come to an end in the last few days of January, US President Joe Biden has stressed that the ceasefire is intended to mark a permanent end to hostilities.4 The peace remains fragile, however, as both Israel and Lebanon have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.
Over 1.4 million people were displaced during the conflict, but the ceasefire has seen thousands of people returning home to southern Lebanon. Resurrection Church in Beirut has been supporting the local community by helping to clear debris and renovate houses, as families return to badly damaged homes or even rubble. They have also been providing trauma and counseling services to families impacted by the conflict, as a way of tangibly demonstrating God’s love in times of need.
SHOWING GOD’S LOVE TO DISPLACED FAMILIES
With many Lebanese families facing a different type of Christmas in 2024, the SAT-7 KIDS team decided to venture out of their comfort zone. “In the midst of the conflict, we felt God nudging us to step out of the studio and become more active on the ground,” shared Andrea El-Mounayer, SAT-7 KIDS Channel Manager. Visiting displaced communities to film two special episodes of Jesus Is Our Strength, they blessed families with essential supplies, a Christmas celebration, and the gift of education. “As a team, we shared Christmas with them, bringing hope and showing God’s love in real, practical ways,” Andrea reflected.
The team witnessed the harsh realities of the impact of the conflict. Andrea said: “We came across displaced families who had lost their homes. Although they had managed to find a place to stay temporarily, they were struggling to cover even their basic needs, [and] their children couldn’t afford to go to school.”
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” sung by members of the local community from the rubble of Kfarfalous, in southern Lebanon. Recorded as part of SAT-7’s Christmas schedule, the powerful piece aimed to inspire viewers affected by conflict with hope and peace.
CELEBRATION IN THE HOLY LAND
In the Holy Land, Hamas officials reached their own agreement with Israel a few days ago, ending 15 months of war in Gaza. The conflict, which began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023, has left over 100,000 people wounded and cost an estimated 47,000 lives – although researchers suggest the true figure may be much higher.5
US President Joe Biden confirmed the deal for a total ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of all the hostages held by Hamas on Wednesday evening last week. The first phase of the ceasefire will focus on allowing families to return to their homes and enabling humanitarian assistance into the area.6 90 Palestinian prisoners and 3 Israeli hostages have now been freed as part of the deal, with more to be released in the coming weeks. Following the announcement of the agreement, the Houthis in Yemen also announced that they will be winding down their drone operations in the area.
News of a ceasefire couldn’t come soon enough for those in the Holy Land. Yousef Khouri, whose parents and sister are among the few hundred Christians who have spent over a year sheltering in two Gazan churches, told the BBC how his relatives have suffered from sleep deprivation, “starvation…and the lack of medical attention and services”.7
Despite strikes continuing in the run up to the agreement coming into force, and while this ceasefire agreement is not a peace deal, the prospect of long-term peace is now on the horizon after 15 months of deadly conflict. Give thanks for the peace agreement in the Holy Land and for all those who worked towards it. Pray that it is upheld by both parties, and that it becomes a permanent and lasting peace.
2025 WORLD WATCH LIST
Moving to North Africa, the US has imposed sanctions on Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohammad Hamdan Daglo, after officially declaring that the armed group has committed genocide in the ongoing civil war.8 Last week, Open Doors launched its World Watch List for 2025, which ranks the countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. This year’s list ranks Sudan as the fifth most dangerous place to be a Christian, a jump of three places on last year – reflecting the increasing hardships that Christians are facing.
With the “forgotten war” showing no sign of abating and almost 9 million people having been displaced, the country is now home to the world’s most significant hunger crisis. For Christians, this widespread hunger is exacerbated by the discrimination that they face from local communities, often being refused food and support. As Church buildings are targeted and life becomes increasingly untenable for Sudanese Christians, many have felt forced to flee.9
But despite these intense difficulties, Pastor Sami Rahhal from the Evangelical Church in Sudan told SAT-7’s You Are Not Alone programme that despite the attacks and destruction of church buildings, their ministry is continuing: “The church is not a building; the church is the believers. The early church didn’t have buildings. The church was growing fast without buildings… It is very sad for churches to be destroyed and attacked, but the church is continuing, and our evangelism, our prayers, are ongoing.”
UNITY AMOUNG CHRISTIANS
Finally, this week (18-25 January) is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, during which denominations across the world join together to pray for the unity of all Christians. Widely celebrated by churches across the MENA, the week allows for recognition of each other’s differences while also standing together in the unity of Christ. Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and Chair of SAT-7’s International Council, reflected upon the occasion: “Prayerfully, we call upon all our fellow Christians around the world…to share with us our fervent and passionate prayer for peace in our beloved and suffering Orient…who are currently facing the harshest waves of persecution…[please pray for] a sustainable and peaceful Christian presence in the Middle East.”10
As we look forward to the coming year, let us pray for a peaceful transition of power in Syria, for an end to the conflict in Sudan and for a permanent peace to take hold in Lebanon and the Holy Land.
Let us join with the prayer of a SAT-7 viewer in Syria:
“May His peace descend upon Syria, its people, its churches, everyone. May He touch the hearts of the oppressed and grieving, bringing healing, comfort, and strength. May wisdom prevail, softening hearts for forgiveness, let there be peace across all Syria and may love unite its people of all sects. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Please Pray:
- Please pray for wisdom for Syria’s new leaders, that they may have a heart for unity and peace, and that they will seek to protect the freedoms of Christians and other minorities in Syria.
- Give thanks for the ceasefire deals in Lebanon and the Holy Land and pray that they will lead to permanent peace deals.
- Pray for an immediate end to the conflict in Sudan; that those facing hunger and persecution may be filled with the hope of the Spirit and be able to find courage and strength during this time.
- Pray for the bereaved, injured and displaced across the Middle East and North Africa, that they will experience the Lord’s peace and comfort. Pray for protection and safety of those who have fled their homes.
- Please pray for the SAT-7’s ministry in 2025, that our programmes may touch viewers’ hearts and encourage and strengthen isolated believers across the MENA region.
References
- Embrace the Middle East
- Church Times
- CNN Interview
- BBC: Ceasefire Designed to be Permanent
- Reuters
- BBC: Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
- BBC: Quatar Mediates Ceasefire Agreement
- BBC: Christians in Bethlehem
- Open Doors
- The Coptic Orthodox Church UK