ISRAEL — Jovelle is alone now—because terrorists took her husband’s life. “He didn’t even see our son,” she said, weeping. “It was only 3 weeks before my due date.”
On October 7, Hamas militants invaded Israel near the Gaza strip, brutally murdering civilians without mercy. One of their victims was Jovelle’s husband, Paul. And she received the heart-wrenching news just before she was about to give birth to their son. But there is still hope for them and other trauma victims in Israel.
Offering Hope to Trauma Victims in Israel
“It’s been a long time since we dreamed of having a child—10 years,” shared Jovelle as she spoke with an Operation Blessing team member. The news of her husband’s passing was that much more devastating because they had hoped for so long to have a child together.
“At first, I didn’t believe it. I said that I wanted to see my husband—they only showed me pictures. He was unrecognizable,” she said, wiping away her tears. “I only identified him through his tattoo, which is my name.”
Paul’s body had been so severely burned they couldn’t even imagine having a funeral. Now, with him gone, Jovelle will try her best to raise their new son alone.
But she hasn’t been alone through this experience—because friends like you are there. Operation Blessing staff were close on hand to help Jovelle process her grief and turn her eyes toward hope.
Standing with War Survivors through Sadness and Joy
Our relief team and CBN Israel have been working together since the war began to help some of the nearly two million people who have fled the conflict zone in Israel. When war broke out suddenly all around them, families like Jovelle’s had no choice but to flee for their lives. They had no time to pack; they just had to go.
Today, our team is working with displaced people in the city of Eilat, four hours from Jerusalem. There, we’re providing families with shelter in local hotels along with food, clean water, and hygiene supplies. And for the traumatized souls who are willing, we’re providing psychosocial intervention.
Jovelle opened her heart to us, and we offered encouragement and a warm embrace. You also provided diapers, formula, milk, and other baby supplies to help her have a great start with her new baby. Our team was able to rejoice with her to see the new life God brought out of such darkness and pain. And we’re thankful to you for your part in it.
Thank you for caring for families affected by the war. You can support more families in crisis when you visit https://www.ob.org/mc/obcrisis/.
