As the war escalates between Israel and Hamas, a well-known cathedral in San Francisco held a service Thursday night, praying for peace in the region.
The service at Grace Cathedral was more somber than usual. The dean said the current war in the Middle East is impacting the hearts and minds of the local community.
“People feel the weight of what’s happening right now, you see it in people’s faces, the way the prayers were,” said Malcolm Young, dean of Grace Cathedral.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
On Thursday, Israeli air strikes were bombarding Gaza, with Israel forces saying they have already dropped more than 6.000 bombs on Gaza.
The Israeli military also told the United Nations that more than a million people in northern Gaza needed to evacuate within 24 hours to minimize damage to civilians.
This as the death toll is increasing -- 1,300 in Israel now reported killed, and more than 1,500 lives lost in Gaza.
At least 27 Americans have been killed, and the fate of the Americans being held hostage is unclear.
During an interview with NBC's Lester Holt from Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says it’s a top priority to get those Americans home.
“We are doing everything we can,” he said.
The message of praying for peace instead of war was a common theme throughout Grace Cathedral’s service.
And for those in attendance, it’s a much-needed message with so much uncertainty around the world.
“Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and we follow a path to peace at some point,” said Carlton Linnenback of San Francisco.
