Over 10,000 Jewish Ethiopians Trapped Amid Worsening Conflict

As fighting between the Ethiopian army and a militia force in the Gondar region worsens, over 10,00o Ethiopians of Jewish descent are waiting to make Aliyah to Israel. There are additionally over a hundred Israeli citizens in the same area. The Foreign Ministry is monitoring the situation, as Israeli officials reassure the public of their commitment to the Israelis and Jews trapped in the region.

The conflict began in April, when the Ethiopian government announced that members of local militias would be required to assimilate into the regular police or military forces. The violence has now spread through the region, where the government declared a state of emergency. This is not the first civil conflict in Ethiopia, which ended a two-year-long civil war just eight months ago.

UPDATE (Thursday, 4pm): Even though the conflict seems to be winding down, with Ethiopian regular troops retaking several cities from the regional militia, the situation is still serious! The Israelis and Jewish Ethiopians, as well as the region in general, still need our prayers.

Please pray for the safe rescue and Aliyah of Israelis and Ethiopian Jews in the region. Please pray for stability and peace for Gondar. Lastly, please pray for those here in Israel – the relatives of trapped Israelis and for Israeli officials as they monitor the situation and decide what action to take.