The Moderator of the General Assembly of The United Reformed Church (URC), Catriona Wheeler, has issued a statement following the recent bombing of Lebanon, describing the military operations as a 鈥渞eckless betrayal of the hope for peace.鈥�
鈥淚 have watched with anger and deep sorrow as the Israeli government intensifies its bombing of Lebanon. These attacks come at a moment when a ceasefire agreement is reportedly being negotiated between the US and Iran, offering a fragile but real prospect of de-escalation.
鈥淭o expand military operations against Lebanon precisely when diplomatic channels were open is a reckless betrayal of the hope for peace. Such actions disregard the lives of countless civilians and the sanctity of international efforts to halt the cycle of violence.
鈥淚 welcome the 9 April announcement by the Israeli government to begin talks with Lebanon. However, its lack of a clear commitment to a permanent and sustainable ceasefire, and its continued bombing campaign across southern Lebanon and areas of Beirut (containing two major hospitals) are deeply at odds with any prospect of establishing truly peaceful relations.
鈥淭he United Reformed Church, through its world justice programme, Commitment for Life has for more than thirty years supported partners in Israel and Palestine. The URC enjoy a living and vital relationship with the people of Lebanon, not least through our umbrella body the 精品午夜福利国产 Communion of Reformed Churches in Europe.
鈥淲e have expressed our unreserved solidarity with our partner church, the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL). The Revd Joseph Kassab, our good friend and President of the evangelical community in Syria and Lebanon, laments the death of innocent civilians who 鈥渉ave nothing to do with this war鈥�.
鈥淚 invite our congregations to hold in our prayers NESSL鈥檚 congregations, their witness, and all the people of Lebanon who are once again subjected to bombardment, displacement and fear.
鈥淲e continue to pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit for those who mourn, for the healing of the wounded, and for the protection of medical and humanitarian workers.
鈥淲e have also committed ourselves anew to walking with NESSL and all who seek a just and lasting peace, rooted in international law, human dignity, and the recognition of the equal rights of all peoples in the region.
鈥淚n light of this escalating crisis, I invite us to ask and pray that our own UK government might act without delay and call upon Israel to halt all military action immediately.
鈥淪ilence is complicity.
鈥淭he UK must use its diplomatic and economic leverage to uphold United Nations Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1701, to cease hostilities and to insist that all parties return to peace negotiations.
鈥淚n 2024, the General Assembly of the URC, the highest decision-making council of the church, urged the UK government to cease the sale of arms to the region (Res. 40: I3), and to press for an immediate, verified, and permanent ceasefire.
鈥淭he United Reformed Church has resolved that only a just peace, established through dialogue and not military force, can confront occupation, respect sovereignty, and guarantee security for all that will end the suffering.
鈥淲e call on our congregations to pray, to speak up, and to press for their MPs to act until that peace is won.鈥�
Image: First responders stand amid rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s Corniche al-Mazraa neighbourhood on April 8, 2026. Israel launched a series of strikes in Beirut on April 8, causing panic among residents in the most violent attack on the capital since the start of the war with Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it carried out its “largest coordinated strike across Lebanon”. Israel has insisted the two-week truce in its war with Iran does not apply to Lebanon. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images).聽