On Oct. 6, 2023, Alex Awad took a group from a Methodist Church in Coburg on a trip to the Holy Land, visiting Bethlehem and surrounding areas. The group heard a talk by Sami Awad, Alex’s nephew and a nonviolent peacemaker in Bethlehem, not knowing that they would be hearing bombs as Hamas began its attacks on Israel the next day.

Awad tells Eugene Weekly he was shocked that Hamas was able to cross the Israeli border that is known for a “strong security system not even a mouse can cross.” He says, “Immediately, the shock went into a deep worry that the people of Gaza are going to pay a very heavy price.”

He called his family in Gaza to urge them to leave; however, they could not leave for a year and lost their homes and properties, as did many others in Gaza. “Israeli policy has always

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