An Israeli government plan to suspend electricity and fuel to Gaza’s civilian population will severely impact local people’s health and wellbeing, harming peace and security in the area, church and development organisations have declared.

The US United Methodist Church's social action agency wants the denomination to divest from companies providing products or services used for "illegal destruction" in Palestinian areas or that are doing business with the government of Sudan.

As Christians who come from a privileged part of the world, our convictions should compel us to listen to the voices of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, voices too often silenced, says Timothy Seidel, reflecting on who is 'in' and 'out' and why.

Some 250 supporters of human rights gathered to protest at the new Wembley Stadium during the England-Israel qualifying match for the Euro 2008 competition - highlighting the plight of a Palestinian youth team denied a visa to visit Britain.

Peace and human rights campaigners have welcomed the decision by Israel's Supreme Court to redraw a small portion of the route of the partition wall around the West Bank, where villagers had argued that the barrier prevented them from reaching 50% of their agricultural land.

Amid tight security, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Palestinian soil in Jericho – in a move which offers some hope to a peace process submerged in violence.

With global attention focussing on news of BBC journalist Alan Johnston's release from captivity in Gaza, a leading church agency says it is time to end the isolation of the Palestinian authority if peace is to be possible.

Heads of the historic churches in Jerusalem have welcomed the Palestine-Israel Ecumenical Forum launched in Jordan last week. They want to work with those of all faiths and none to achieve a breakthrough in the deadly stalemate.

Doing justice to the Palestinian people will bring about security for Israel too, a global church conference has heard. There were appeals to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian land and to combat anti-Semitism too.

A new advocacy initiative, launched at the culmination of a World Council of Churches (WCC) conference in Jordan this week, is to help churches worldwide work for a just peace in Palestine and Israel.