Christian-Jewish aid group rushes $2.5m in emergency relief to Israel

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
Fellowship staff members prepare to deliver meals to elderly residents of Bat Yam, Israel, on June 16, 2025, following the Iranian missile attacks that fell on and heavily damaged the city the night before. (Photo: IFCJ / Mishel Amzaleg)

Following the exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Iran, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) has launched a large-scale emergency relief operation, delivering $2.5 million in aid to displaced and injured Israelis.

The attacks, part of the Israeli military campaign dubbed Operation Rising Lion, forced the evacuation of around 5,000 Israelis and damaged hundreds of homes and residential buildings. A ceasefire has been declared as of Tuesday.

In response, IFCJ has distributed over 1,000 debit cards prepaid with $225 to families in some of the worst-hit cities including Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Rehovot, Rishon LeZion, Ramat Gan, and Tamra.

IFCJ CEO Yael Eckstein said the need was urgent and overwhelming: "In a matter of seconds, lives were turned upside down.

“Homes destroyed. Children frightened. Elderly men and women suddenly without food, medicine, or even a bed to sleep in.

“In those moments, there is no time to wait. Only to act. That's what the Fellowship is here to do—to bring comfort. To bring help. To bring light."

Alongside financial assistance, IFCJ is accelerating the installation of protective infrastructure, with plans to deploy 10 new bomb shelters this week and an additional 100 in the weeks ahead - 50 of which are heavily reinforced against high-impact blasts.

Additionally, the organisation is extending aid to new immigrants who arrived in Israel just before the missile strikes began.

Many of these new arrivals, known as olim, had only just landed in the country and are now navigating a crisis they never expected to face so soon.

The organisation is providing them with shelter, food, and guidance.

“We can’t stop the missiles, but we can meet fear with faith and meet loss with love. And that’s what we’re doing – every hour, every day,” Ms Eckstein said.

Even as rockets have been falling, IFCJ teams are going door-to-door delivering hot meals, hygiene supplies, and emotional support.

Ms Eckstein praised the courage of her staff and volunteers, as well as the outpouring of support from the organisation’s global Christian donor base: “I’m also overwhelmed with gratitude for our Christian friends whose love and prayers make this work possible.

“Their support is not just financial—it's spiritual," she said. 

“It reminds the people of Israel that they are not alone—that even in the darkest of nights, there are hands reaching out in love."

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