Israel/Gaza '23

It  was the worst  day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. On October 7, 2023, several hundred Hamas terrorists coordinated a horrific attack, breaching the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. They brutally slaughtered over 1,400 Israelis — mostly civilians.  Another  200-plus civilians were taken by Hamas as hostages, including babies and young children. This act  of  brutality and mass kidnapping by the terror organization has set off a bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas. Yet, because Hamas has intentionally woven itself into Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, Palestinian civilians find themselves in the crosshairs of war.  Thousands  of  Palestinian lives have been lost and thousands more injured in the process of  Israel defending itself. One thing is certain: The Holy Land will never be the same.

Hamas was previously  a  Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1980s seeking the destruction of Israel. The terror group took power in the Gaza Strip in 2006. Israel withdrew from Gaza towards the end of 2005. The Palestinian political authority in Gaza held a contested election the following year. Hamas gained the  most seats, solidifying its grip on the region. Palestinians in Gaza have not had another election since.

In the years following Hamas control of Gaza, Palestinians suffered. Hamas consistently  used  funding  to  build  rockets  and  tunnels rather than roads and infrastructure for the people. This kept  Gaza dependent on Israel for basic necessities like water and electricity — resources that Israel limited in supply. Hamas has continued to use the region as a missile base. Meanwhile, the Israeli government  has been  accused of  maintaining a two-tier judicial system and treating Palestinians as second-class citizens.  Palestinians also take issue with the continued expansion of  Israeli territories in the West Bank.

The one place with true unity in the Holy Land is within the Church. Jewish and Muslim background Christians, Arab and Israeli, national and expatriate all come together in joint worship of Jesus Christ. On the day of Hamas’s attack in Israel, Arab and Jewish pastors called one another and wept for their nations. Only 2.5% of the people in Gaza and the West Bank are Christians. In Israel, the percentage is even lower at 1.3%. Now, in wartime, the message of the Gospel is more urgent than ever. Lord Jesus, have mercy.  May Israelis, Palestinians, and Hamas fighters know Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.