Israeli soldiers have assaulted Christian Peacemakers and shot and killed a Palestinian youth in a village north of Hebron.

A top Christian monthly magazine has published an interview with Khalid Mish'al, widely regarded as the most senior figure in Hamas, the Islamist resistance group elected in Palestine and described as 'terrorists' by the USA.

Churches in 40 countries have come together to hold peace vigils, seminars, concerts, festivals and public gatherings, in support of peace in Palestine and Israel.

As the State of Israel marked the 60th anniversary of its founding, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) made an unequivocal statement against anti-Semitism but also urged full recognition of the rights of the Palestinians.

Churches throughout the world are preparing to respond to six decades of conflict in Israel-Palestine with a week of actions for justice and peace, reports the World Council of Churches, which is helping to coordinate the event.

The World Council of Churches is inviting member churches and others to join a week of advocacy and action for a just peace in Palestine and Israel. Participants will contribute to a common global witness for peace in early June 2008.

Over 140 Christian leaders have made a unified call for a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel. Their declaration is published today in The Independent newspaper.

Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan has been named as the 2008 winner of the Niwano Peace Prize for efforts at building peace with justice in the Middle East, especially with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As Gaza residents flood into Egypt seeking basic goods for survival, Caritas Jerusalem, the Catholic aid network, is joining church, United Nations agencies and NGOs in calling for measures to end the escalating crisis in Gaza.

The Israeli army has launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip, killing at least nine people in a series of military air strikes and shelling attacks. It has been accused of breaking the spirit of the Annapolis peace agreement.