The highest legislative assembly of the 4.8 million member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has declared its opposition to "any escalation of the war" in Iraq and called upon the US government to work for a just-peace.

In response to massive human suffering in Iraq, the US ecumenical relief and development agency Church World Service is mounting a two-pronged effort aimed at providing essential services for vulnerable children.

Doing justice to the Palestinian people will bring about security for Israel too, a global church conference has heard. There were appeals to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian land and to combat anti-Semitism too.

Famous Irish peace activist Mairead Maguire has been hit with a rubber bullet fired by the Israeli military at a non-violent protest Ramallah on the West Bank.